Stephane Le Mignan has urged his Metz players to attack the second leg of their relegation / promotion play-off against Reims after a 1-1 draw in Wednesday's first game. (More Football News)
Metz had taken the lead in the 38th minute through captain Matthieu Udol, but Reims levelled the contest through Cedric Kipre seven minutes after the restart.
Le Mignan's side, who were relegated last season after losing the play-off to Saint-Etienne, ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 0.78 to Reims' 0.59.Â
Reims held on to ensure the tie would be level heading into next Thursday's second leg at the Stade Auguste Delaune.Â
Samba Diawara's men are hoping to avoid relegation from the top flight for the first time since being promoted in 2018 after finishing 16th in Ligue 1.
It also marks the start of a huge week for Reims, who have the Coupe de France final against Paris Saint-Germain this Saturday before their must-win second-leg clash.Â
Metz reached the final after victory over Dunkerque, having blown their automatic promotion hopes with a late collapse to finish third in Ligue 2 behind Paris FC and Lorient.
And Le Mignan believes his players need to find a more clinical edge against Reims in the return leg to secure an immediate return to the top-flight.Â
"It was a hard-fought match without either side managing to gain the upper hand over the other," Le Mignan said.Â
"We dominated the start of the match, and we managed to open the scoring. I think the lead was deserved at half-time, but the second half was more balanced.
"We then had a few opportunities that we handled poorly. Now, we will focus on the return match with determination."
