Monaco will be looking to pick up their first Ligue 1 victory of the season at the second attempt when they take on Metz at Stade Saint-Symphorien on Sunday.

Niko Kovac's side recovered from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Reims on the opening weekend, while Metz are in action for the first time this season.

Match preview

Former Bayern Munich boss Kovac was heading for defeat in his first competitive match as Monaco head coach, his side finding themselves two goals down to Reims early on.

However, Axel Disasi struck just before half time and Benoit Badiashile equalised in the second period to earn the Les Monegasques an opening-day point.

That game marked Monaco's first competitive match back in five months due to the coronavirus pandemic, which brought an early end to the 2019-20 campaign.

The principality club finished ninth in the points-per-game table and just outside a European spot, which will be Kovac's target for this season.

Metz were six places and six points worse off than Monaco last term, but they have built some momentum during pre-season with three victories on the spin.

The Maroons' last league match ended in a 2-1 win over Nimes on March 7 thanks to goals from Opa Nguette and John Boye.

Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac pictured on March 2, 2019 © Reuters

In fact, Metz ended the shortened 2019-20 campaign fairly strongly, losing just two of their last 11 games - against Bordeaux (2-1) and Lyon (2-0), both in February.

Monaco have similarly made themselves tough to beat, losing one of their last seven Ligue 1 games. However, they have won just one of their last six away matches.

Things have already changed since Kovac replaced Robert Moreno in July, with Monaco registering the highest possession rate and highest passing accuracy of any side on matchday one.

Kovac's men ultimately came away from that Reims clash with just a single point, though, and a repeat of that result this weekend would be considered a disappointing outcome.

Metz' pre-season form: WWLWWW

Monaco Ligue 1 form: D
Monaco form (including pre-season): WLDWD

Team News

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas hangs his head during the Premier League match against Southampton on January 2, 2019 © Reuters

Sofiane Diop replaced Henry Onyekuru at half time against Reims and may have done enough to earn a starting spot for Monaco this weekend.

Experienced midfielder Cesc Fabregas missed that opening game and remains a major doubt for this trip to Metz, while Stevan Jovetic is also expected to be absent.

As for Metz, Vagner is in contention for a competitive debut after joining from Saint-Etienne in the summer.

Kevin N'Doram is a long-term absentee for the hosts, while Manuel Cabit and Habib Diallo are also carrying injuries.

Vincent Pajot is likely to be handed a start, the midfielder having assisted three of Metz' last six goals in Ligue 1.

Metz possible starting lineup:
Oukidja; Centonze, Bronn, Boye, Udol; Maiga, Angban, Pajot; Boulaya, Niane, Vagner

Monaco possible starting lineup:
Lecomte; Aguilar, Disasi, Mukinayi, Ballo-Toure; Fofana, Tchouameni, Golovin; Martins, Ben Yedder, Diop

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We say: Metz 1-2 Monaco

Monaco arguably have a slight advantage heading into this match, having already got one competitive outing under their belt. The visitors also boast an impressive record in this fixture, winning eight of the last nine Ligue 1 encounters, so we are backing them to come out on top this weekend.

Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a double chance bet on a home win or draw in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Monaco win with a probability of 42.24%. A win for Metz had a probability of 32.14% and a draw had a probability of 25.6%.

The most likely scoreline for a Monaco win was 0-1 with a probability of 9.79%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.88%) and 0-2 (7.16%). The likeliest Metz win was 1-0 (8.32%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.15%). The actual scoreline of 0-1 was predicted with a 9.8% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted a 0-1 win for Monaco in this match.