This Saturday, Paris Saint-Germain faces Metz at the Stade Saint-Symphorien (kick-off at 7 pm, CET) for Matchday 16 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season. And as before every match, here’s a look at the Parisians’ opponent.
Metz’s situation –
FC Metz is the most frequent French club to yo-yo between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. This time, the Metz club was promoted thanks to the playoff victory against Reims last summer. This was their 8th promotion in the 21st century.
The challenge for the club founded in 1919 is therefore to find stability by remaining in the top flight. But nothing is guaranteed, far from it, given their current 18th place in Ligue 1. They had a terrible start to the season, followed by a resurgence that rekindled hope. However, Metz have now fallen back into a difficult period. They must now fight for survival until the very end.
Summer transfer window 2025 –
Source: Transfermarkt
Departures:
Arrivals:
Key statistics –
This season, Metz boasts the 14th best attack in Ligue 1 with 15 goals scored (Olympique de Marseille leads with 35, and Auxerre trails with 11), and the 18th best defense with 34 goals conceded (PSG has the best defense with 12 goals conceded, while Lorient, second to last, has 28).
Metz’s top scorer is Gauthier Hein (29-year-old attacking midfielder), who, with 5 goals, ranks 16th in the league (Mason Greenwood leads Ligue 1 with 10 goals). Cheikh Salaby (26-year-old winger) is the club’s top assist provider with 2 assists, ranking 37th in Ligue 1 (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leads with 5 assists).
Metz’s last 5 matches –
Only Metz’s possession is shown, and Metz’s shots are listed first (when data is available).
02/11/2025 (Ligue 1) – Nantes/Metz: 0-2. Playing a 4-1-4-1 formation. 47% possession. 13 shots, 7 on target, compared to 13 shots (4 on target) for Nantes.
09/11/2025 (Ligue 1) – Metz/Nice: 2-1. Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. 51% possession. 9 shots, 2 on target, compared to 8 shots (4 on target) for Nantes.
23/11/2025 (Ligue 1) – Brest/Metz: 3-2. Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. 38% possession. 3 shots, 2 on target, compared to 18 shots (6 on target).
November 28, 2025 (Ligue 1) – Metz/Rennes: 0-1. Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. 51% possession. 12 shots, 3 on target, compared to 10 shots (6 on target).
07/12/2025 (Ligue 1) – Auxerre/Metz: 3-1. In a 4-2-3-1 formation. 62% possession. 6 shots, 4 on target, compared to 13 shots (9 on target).
The squad
Unavailable – Mboula, Mangondo, Sy (injury).
The probable starting lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Sané
Tsitaishvili – Hein – Sabaly
Deminguet – Traoré
Ballo-Touré – Yegbe – Gbamin – Colin
Fischer
Metz’s playing style.
FC Metz has adopted a rather cautious approach, which is understandable for a newly promoted team. However, there is still a desire to attack when possible, not just defend. Against PSG, though, the expectation is primarily for a compact and aggressive defensive block, aiming to break forward occasionally and cause problems. This will likely involve attacking down the flanks, a tactic Metz is known for.
