With just three points separating them, Lens and Metz are both fighting it out for European football next season.
Still without Gaël Kakuta, Issiaga Sylla and Ignatius Ganago due to injury, Franck Haise made just one change from the team that beat Saint-Etienne, after choosing a weakened team that was knocked out of the Coupe de France by Red Star. Out went Tony Mauricio, replaced by Cheick Doucouré as Lens switched from their usual 3-4-1-2 formation to a 3-5-2.
Likewise Frédéric Antonetti made changes as Metz advanced past Valenciennes in the cup, but was forced into making changes to the team that fell to Angers due to Boubakar Kouyaté, Alexandre Oukidja and former Lens player Fabien Centonze all being suspended. In came Mamadou Fofana, Marc-Aurèle Caillard and Lens youth team product Thomas Delaine in their place, while Aaron Leya Iseka and Lamine Gueye also missed out, replaced by Vagner Gonçalves and Habib Maïga as Metz changed to a 3-5-1-1 shape.
Just like in the last meeting between these sides, Lens were able to make space for one of their centre-backs by drawing Metz’ forwards over to the other two, so the free man could advance forward on the ball.
Metz also had problems in midfield, where they may have the same number of players yet the shapes didn’t line up well. Vagner and Farid Boulaya would block the pass into Doucouré initially, however he would be left free when they would push up to press the centre-backs, so Pape Matar Sarr would push forward to pick him up instead.
However this left Vincent Pajot needing to cover the left side of midfield and so he was dragged away from the centre, leaving space for Florian Sotoca or Arnaud Kalimuendo to drop off into. This is how Lens took the lead, with Jonathan Clauss’ free-kick deflecting off the wall into the net after Sotoca was fouled when he picked up the ball in this area.
Metz equalised due to Loïc Badé being a little too calm on the ball though, toying with it at his feet then passing behind Facundo Medina. Maïga ran onto the ball and as the Argentinian desperately tryed to recover, he felled the Ivorian to hand Metz a penalty.
Lens soon retook the lead though. They pressed high, robbing Vagner of the ball in his own half then springing forward, sending the ball down the left to Kalimuendo to cross for Yannick Cahuzac to finish.
With Lens finding it easy to progress the ball and therefore maintain possession, Metz really struggled to offer anything going forward. Boulaya would drop very deep to help work the ball forward, however this would leave them very light in attack. Even so, they managed to claw back a goal when Lens failed to clear the ball, allwoing Delaine to pick out a beautiful finish on his left foot from the edge of the area against his former club.
Haise turned to Kakuta and Simon Banza in order to push for a winner, yet Metz held out. Twice this season Lens have had the better of the game against Metz only for cheaply conceded goals to see them come away without a win.
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