For Lens to secure a place in the Europa League, they need to earn three points in matches against opponents of Metz's caliber.

Metz

Lens

Match Stats

As anticipated, Metz is engaged in a survival battle in Ligue 1 this season. This club possesses one of the most modest budgets in the league and lacks any star players in its ranks. However, Metz's situation is far from hopeless. They currently occupy the 17th position, trailing Lorient, who sit in 16th place, by just three points. In their recent three Ligue 1 matches, Metz has failed to secure a single point. Initially, they succumbed to Reims 1-2, and subsequently conceded 7 goals across 2 games - 2-5 against Monaco and 3-4 against Brest.Lens, who finished as runners-up last season, is having a relatively tough time this season. Currently, the blood and gold team occupies the sixth position and is in contention with Nice for a spot in the Europa League. Their deficit from Nice is currently only one point. However, there is a risk of slipping out of the European competition zone entirely, as Reims trails by just three points, while Marseille and Rennes trail by four. Lens's recent results have been underwhelming. In their previous three matches, they were defeated by their direct rivals Nice (1-3) and Lille (1-2), and dropped points against the underdog Gueugnon (1-1) last weekend.