Promotion/Relegation Playoff Preview: All to play for between Reims and Metz

After drawing one-all in the first leg of the promotion/relegation playoffs, Stade de Reims and FC Metz will settle who plays in Ligue 1 McDonald's next season tomorrow evening. Here's our preview of tomorrow's second leg.

Moscardo to miss out for Reims

Since losing Emmanuel Agbadou and Marshall Munetsi in the winter window, little has gone right for the Champagne side. 12th after an impressive draw against Paris Saint-Germain, they endured a protracted slide only made palatable by a run to Saturday's Coupe de France final against the capital side. Despite making a good fist of the match, they were undone by a brace from Bradley Barcola, eventually losing 3-0 and will now have to recover to seal a place in the top flight for next season.

Speaking pre-match, manager Samba Diawara insisted that a line has been drawn under their heroics in that competition and now they'll have to work to undo the frustration of Le Havre's last-minute winner against Strasbourg, a result that saw the Normandy side slip ahead of them to safety. Said Diawara, "The Cup was a fine cap to the season despite the final that was not necessarily to our advantage. I think the players have enjoyed this day, and a historic moment for the Club, for the city and for their career. But our focus on this ended at full time."

The one saving grace for Diawara, who replaced Luka Elsner in mid-season, is that he'll have a full complement of players upon which to call, save PSG loanee Gabriel Moscardo, who was forced off with an ankle injury at the weekend.

𝙁𝙊𝘾𝙐𝙎𝙀𝘿. 👀

⏳ J-2 avant #SDRFCM ⚔️#TeamSDR 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/MyZEzDqCYW

— Stade de Reims (@StadeDeReims) May 27, 2025

Metz at (nearly) full strength

With a deep squad that impressed throughout the Ligue 2 BKT season, Metz will need to be minded carefully by the hosts. Gauthier Hein and Cheikh Sabaly have both hit double digits in goals this season, and are proven performers in the top flight, while in defence, January arrival and Gabon international Urie-Michel Mboula has steadied the side since his arrival.

Manager Stéphane Le Mignan averred pre-match that the long lay-off was similar to the break between league matches, and that despite Reims' exertions at the weekend, his Grenats side would be well-situated as they've kept in the rhythm of the Ligue 2 season, "Things are a bit off-kilter because we're not playing on the weekend, but ultimately it's the normal pace of preparing for a league match, the only difference is playing a two-legged match in eight days against the same opponent."

Predicted lineups:

Stade de Reims (5-4-1): Diouf; Akieme, Kipré, Gbane, Okumu, Sekine; Nakamura, Koné, Atangana, Ito; Siebatcheu (or Diakité)

FC Metz (4-2-3-1): Sy; Kouao, Sané, Mboula, Udol; Stambouli, Deminguet; van de Kerkhof, Hein, Bokele; Sabaly (or Sané)

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