Metz vs. Lille OSC 8/8/21 Ligue 1 Soccer Pick, Odds, and Prediction

Metz is hosting Lille OSC at Stade Saint Symphorien in round 1 of the French Ligue 1. Metz has had a solid last season where they were far away from the relegation zone, in 10^th place with 47 points. Lille has had a remarkable season where they win the title ahead of PSG, and they have won the French Super Cup last weekend.

In their preseason, Metz has played 4 games, and they have won 3 while losing 1 game. In 3 of those 4 games, Metz has scored at least 1 goal, and they were also able to keep 1 clean sheet. As far as last season goes, Metz didn’t have any hopes of reaching Europe, but they were close, and that was disappointing for them. Overall, Metz was solid on both ends with 44 scored goals and 48 conceded goals in 38 games. There have been a few arrivals to Metz in free transfers, but they have sold a great player to Sochi for 4.4 million Euros, a player they will certainly miss. Same as last season, Metz’s biggest goal is to stay away from the relegation zone, but if they can repeat last season, at least partially, Metz will be in competition for the Conference League.

After having a terrible preseason where they have won only 1 of their 5 games, Lille was playing against PSG in the French Cup. Lille has had only 29% of ball possession, 4 shots on goal, 1 corner kick, 0 big chances created, and 78% of the correct passes. After defending well for an entire first half, Lille has scored a goal in the 45^th minute, and with another solid defensive performance in the second half, Lille has won this match 1-0, and their first trophy of the season. as far as Lille’s roster goes, it stayed mostly the same, but the transfer window is still open, and I think they need some reinforcements if they want to have a shot at defending the title. The good news for Lille is that their schedule is on the easier side for a while in Ligue 1, but they will also be playing in the Champions League this season, and that might be a problem for them. Sure, Lille is a great team, but I’m not sure they have the depth to compete in two competitions, at least not seriously compete, and I think they will need to make a choice on which they should focus more.

The trends are heavily on Lille’s side, and they have won both games against Metz last season. after winning the Super Cup last week, the mood in Lille is outstanding, and that will certainly help them in this match. We are getting Lille for a solid price on the road, and I will take it.