Angers v Metz: mid-table push meets survival fight | OneFootball

Angers host Metz in Ligue 1 on Sunday, 1 February 2026 at Stade Raymond Kopa, with the home side eyeing daylight in mid-table while the visitors search for points to climb out of the relegation places.

The reverse fixture in September finished 1-1 in Metz. Angers arrive 11th, Metz 18th, setting up a meeting shaped by contrasting priorities but tight margins.

Recent momentum favours neither side. Angers have taken one point from their last three league matches, drawing 0-0 at Paris FC after defeats by Marseille and Le Havre. Metz have lost four of their past five league games, with a 1-1 draw at Lorient their only return.

Team news could matter. Angers are without forward Sidiki Cherif through injury. He is their leading Ligue 1 scorer this season with four goals. Metz list goalkeeper Pape Sy, forward Joseph Mangondo and defender Sadibou Sané as injured.

Tactically, Angers tend to play without the ball, averaging 41% possession but keeping six clean sheets. Their open-play crossing has yielded 19.25% accuracy and two headed goals. Metz have scored 21 times but conceded 45, so their defence may need protection. In attack, Gauthier Hein stands out with six league goals and four assists this season, a key outlet who could test the hosts.

A win would lift Angers to 26 points and could nudge them towards the top half. Victory for Metz would take them to 15 points and could cut the gap to the relegation play-off spot as they look to climb out of the bottom two.