The Ligue 1 Round 18 match between RC Strasbourg Alsace and Metz will take place on 18 january at Stade de la Meinau. RC Strasbourg Alsace vs Metz: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
RC Strasbourg Alsace
RC Strasbourg Alsace began the new calendar year with a draw, which came in the away meeting with Nice (1:1). It was the second consecutive compromised result in the league. The winless run in the competition has already grown to five matches (before that there were three more defeats). During this stretch the club scored only two goals. The home side dropped to 7th place and is already 6 points adrift of the European zone.
- No more than two goals were scored in 5 of the club's previous 6 Ligue 1 games.
- RC Strasbourg Alsace did not lose in 16 of the last 19 home league matches (12 wins and 4 draws).
- The team kept clean sheets in 4 of the previous 5 home matches in Ligue 1.
Potential RC Strasbourg Alsace Lineup (3-4-2-1)*
RC Strasbourg Alsace: Maik Penders – Ben Chilwell, Ismaël Doukouré, Lukas Hogsberg – Valentin Barco, Abdul Ouattara, Diego Moreira, Samir El-Merabet – Marshall Godo, Julio Encisco – Joaquín Panicelli.
Head coach Liam Rosenior has taken charge of Chelsea. Former Wolverhampton Wanderers coach Gary O'Neil has been appointed in his place. Defender Mamadou Sarr is at AFCON. Due to injuries defenders Andrew Omobamidele and Amadou Cissé, midfielders Maxi Oyedele and Mathis Amugu, and forward Emmanuel Emegha are out. Defender Guéla Doué returned late from the Africa Cup of Nations and will most likely not play.
Metz
Metz, coached by Stéphane Le Mignan, played the previous round away and drew 1:1 with Lorient. Thus a four-match losing streak in the league was ended. At the same time the winless run continues. Earlier this season the club had an even longer winless period of nine matches (2 draws and 7 defeats). The visiting team remains at the bottom of the table, and the gap to the safe 15th place is 4 points. In addition, the side has the worst defence in Ligue 1, having already conceded 38 goals.
- Both teams scored in 5 of the last 6 league games for the club.
- Metz lost 9 of the previous 11 away matches in Ligue 1.
- The team conceded at least two goals in 9 of the last 11 away league matches.
Potential Metz Lineup (4-4-2)*
Metz: Jonathan Fischer – Sadibou Sane, Urie-Michel Mboula, Maxim Kolen, Koffi Kouao – Bubacar Traoré, Gautier En, Jesse Demenge, Giorgi Tsitaishvili – Malik Mbaye, Ibu Sane.
For international duty the forwards Habib Diallo and Cheik Sabaly are away. Defender Koffi Kouao is out due to suspension.
Referee
Jérémy Pignard (France)
Matches – 8 (the Ligue 1, 2025/26);
Showed Yellow/Red Cards (Including Second Yellow) – 31;
Average Yellow Cards Per Match – 3.9;
Showed Red Cards – 5;
Fouls Average Per Match – 22;
Penalties – 50%.
RC Strasbourg Alsace vs Metz: Match Prediction
In mid-autumn RC Strasbourg Alsace was still in the top four and hoping to finish in the Champions League zone. But the club could not cope with the pressure and the fixture congestion from European competition, and eventually began to drift down the table. At this point ambitions to reach the top four can be forgotten, and even sixth place is already far away. The home side arrive at the upcoming match in poor form and urgently need a win. The opponent is suitable for that, but the hosts must show themselves as best as possible in attack.
We expect the hosts to score at least two effective strikes. After all, at home RC Strasbourg Alsace has decent numbers and scores regularly. At the same time we also expect goals from the visitors, who need to climb out of the last position. Metz scored in five previous away Ligue 1 matches. However, the visitors concede even more on the road, in nearly every game. It is also worth noting that three or more goals were scored in the last three head-to-head meetings held at this stadium in the league.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
* For each team the starting lineup from its previous match in this tournament is shown.
