This Saturday, February 21st, Paris Saint-Germain (2nd) faces Metz (18th) at the Parc des Princes (kick-off at 9:05 PM, CET) for Matchday 23 of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season. And as before every match, here’s a look at PSG’s 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 their hopes.
However, Metz have fallen back into a difficult period, which cost coach Stéphane Le Mignan his job, replaced by Benoît Tavenot. They now have to fight for survival until the very end. Currently, Metz are 18th, 9 points behind Paris FC, who sit 15th and are the first team outside the relegation zone (16th-placed Auxerre are 4 points behind, and there is a relegation playoff to be played at the end of the season).
Summer Transfer Window 2025 –
Source: Transfermarkt.
Departures:
Arrivals:
Winter Transfer Window 2025/2026 –
Source: Transfermarkt.
Departures:
Arrivals:
Key Statistics –
This season, Metz has one of the 16 best attacks in Ligue 1 with 22 goals scored (the best, PSG, has 49, and the worst, Auxerre, has 17), and the 18th best defense with 49 goals conceded (Lens has the best defense with 17 goals conceded, and the second-to-last, Nantes and Nice, have 40).
Metz’s top scorer is Gauthier Hein (29-year-old attacking midfielder), with 6 goals, ranking 21st in the league (Mason Greenwood is first with 14 goals). Hein is also Metz’s top assist provider with 4 assists, ranking 15th in Ligue 1 (Vitinha is first with 6 assists).
Metz’s Last 5 Matches –
Only Metz’s possession is shown, and Metz’s shots are listed first (when data is available).
January 18, 2026 (Ligue 1) – Strasbourg/Metz: 2-1. Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. 47% possession. 13 shots, 7 on target, compared to 13 shots (4 on target).
January 25, 2026 (Ligue 1) – Metz/Lyon: 2-5. Playing a 4-3-3 formation. 51% possession. 9 shots, 2 on target, compared to 8 shots (4 on target).
February 1, 2026 (Ligue 1) – Angers/Metz (at 10 pm): 1-0. Playing a 4-3-3 formation. 38% possession. 3 shots, 2 on target, compared to 18 shots (6 on target).
February 6, 2026 (Ligue 1) – Metz/Lille: 0-0. Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. 51% possession. 12 shots, 3 on target, compared to 10 shots (6 on target).
February 15, 2026 (Ligue 1) – Metz/Auxerre: 1-3. Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation. 63% possession. 14 shots, 4 on target, compared to 13 shots (5 on target).
The Squad:
Unavailable – Guerti, Hein Magondo, Stambouli, Sy (injuries)
Hein (29-year-old attacking midfielder) was doubtful, and his absence is a major blow, as he has been directly involved in almost half of Metz’s goals this season in Ligue 1 (6 goals and 4 assists out of 22 goals).
The probable starting lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Tsitaishvili – Diallo – Michal
Bo. Touré – Gbamin – Munongo
Colin – Mboula – Sané – Kouao
Fischer
Metz’s playing style.
FC Metz has a rather attacking approach, especially for a team struggling. The idea is to get out of this situation by trying to create chances. This is particularly true when using the width of the pitch, and then shooting when an opportunity arises. Against PSG, however, we expect primarily a compact and aggressive defensive block, aiming to break forward occasionally and cause problems. A more ambitious plan is rare at the Parc des Princes, especially for a team in difficulty.
