Metz, having climbed off the bottom of the table with two consecutive 2-0 victories, will be playing with a level of self-belief not seen earlier in the campaign. Their defense, which had conceded a torrent of goals in the opening nine fixtures, has suddenly found its resolve. They face a Nice team that, despite sitting in 8th place, is in a precarious position. Two straight losses, including a midweek European fixture, and a string of injuries to key defenders like Youssouf Ndayishimiye and Mohamed Abdelmonem, have left them exposed. While Nice boasts a dominant head-to-head record, having won the last three meetings without conceding, the current context significantly levels the playing field. Nice's attack has been impotent on their travels, and against a reinvigorated Metz defense, they may struggle to create clear-cut chances. Conversely, Metz's attack, led by Habib Diallo, will be optimistic about their chances of finally breaking their scoring drought against a makeshift Nice backline. All signs point towards a tightly contested match where Metz's current form and home advantage cancel out Nice's superior league standing and historical dominance, leading to a share of the spoils.