With two fine goals from striker Georges Mikautadze, Metz gave itself some breathing space at the bottom of the standings on Friday April 12 by dominating Lens (2-1) at the opening of the 29th day of Ligue 1. Les Messins, who remained on four defeats at home, come back thanks to this success in their boiling hot Saint-Symphorien stadium at the height of the current barrage Lorient (26 points). The Lensois remain stuck in sixth place and see the prospect of playing in the Champions League for a second consecutive year irremediably fading away.
However, everything started badly for Metz. Even if their players had not lost in any of the last five receptions of Lens, the supporters heard their pride piqued in the pre-match, unhappy with the spectacle offered since the start of the season and faced with the growing prospect of relegation to Ligue 2. Masked and dressed all in white, they displayed an eloquent banner: “Living among the ghosts of the FCM, you become a ghost yourself. »
Despite a first attack from Metz, where Danley Jean Jacques' narrow-angle shot hit Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba, the Sang et Or quickly took the game into their own hands and were logically rewarded. On a nice deep pass into the area from Jonathan Gradit, Wesley Saïd caught the ball before being hit by Metz goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja. Indisputable penalty converted by Florian Sotoca (1-0 13th).
The Garnets then turned everything around before the break thanks to their Georgian striker Georges Mikautadze. First with a superb sequence of oriented control and strike from the left into the top corner (1-1, 34ᵉ), then with a point-blank flick, which mystified Samba (2-1, 45ᵉ 3).
Georges Mikautadze, man of the match
The eighth and ninth goals of the season from the 23-year-old striker completely put the Lorraines back in the saddle, who continued to rush into the attack after the restart, in his wake. Untenable, the player on loan from Ajax Amsterdam forced Samba to box a thirty-meter shot from the right (48th).
As if numbed by the opposing enthusiasm, and despite the changes made at the hour mark by coach Franck Haise, notably with the entry of Elye Wahi in place of Saïd, the Lensois only proved dangerous in brief moments. , certainly voluntary but too messy. Like a counterattack from Morgan Guilavogui who missed the target at the end of the match (88th). A risky exit from his surface by Oukidja, who narrowly missed being lobbed, nevertheless caused a few cold sweats to break out in the Metz bays (62ᵉ).
The Lensois remain in four matches without success (one draw and three defeats) and their sixth place (43 points) is more than ever eyed by Reims (7th, 40 points), Marseille (8th, 39 points) and Rennes (9th, 39 points).
“We did anything,” lamented Lensois Angelo Fulgini at the end of the match on Prime, very disappointed. “I have no rational explanation,” said Franck Haise. “I am primarily responsible. To win matches, you don’t just have to have a good twenty-five minutes” and “my role is to reverse the trend”.
“Let me savor this beautiful evening,” said his Metz counterpart Laszlo Bölöni. “It feels good,” breathed double scorer Mikautadze, who, for one evening, removed the specter of relegation a little.
