On May 22, the first round of the 2024/25 Ligue 1 promotion and relegation play-offs was held at the Saint-Sivrian Stadium last night. Metz, ranked third in Ligue 2, played against Reims, ranked 16th in Ligue 1, at home, and the two sides finally shook hands and made peace with a 1-1 draw. The game was full of ups and downs. Although Metz scored first, they failed to maintain their advantage. Reims, playing away, successfully grabbed a key point in an unfavorable situation, leaving hope for the second round of home battle next week.

The atmosphere of this game was tense and of great significance. The home team Metz obviously hoped to take advantage of the home field to take the lead. In the 38th minute of the first half, Metz captain Udor received a cross from his teammate in a wing attack and headed the ball accurately, successfully breaking through the defense of Reims and opening the door to victory for the home team. Metz therefore entered the locker room with a 1-0 lead.

However, the situation changed suddenly after the change of sides. In the 51st minute, Reims got a chance for a set-piece in the frontcourt. Akiemé took the penalty and sent the ball accurately to the center of the penalty area. Defender Kipre headed the ball into the goal, equalizing the score for the visiting team. This goal not only hit the morale of Metz, but also gave Reims hope of overtaking.

The following game was more intense, with both sides attacking and defending, but neither team was able to change the score again. In the end, the 1-1 result kept the suspense going into the second leg. For Reims, being able to draw with the opponent away from home was undoubtedly a positive result, especially with the ups and downs in performance this season, this point was particularly crucial.

Reims coach Diawara said after the game: " We showed strong will and execution away from home. Now the whole team will turn our focus to the second leg home game. Our goal is clear, which is to keep our place in Ligue 1. " Since being promoted to Ligue 1 in 2018, Reims has been competing in the top league. Relegation this time will be a major blow.

For Metz, this match was also full of regrets. They were relegated last season after losing to Saint-Etienne in the play-offs. This season, they had a strong performance in the French Ligue 2 and had a chance to be directly promoted, but their performance was unstable at the end of the season and they only ranked third . They were forced to fight for their return to the top level through the play-offs again.

Metz defeated Dunkirk in the first round of the play-offs and advanced to the final stage. Now if they want to successfully return to Ligue 1, they must defeat Reims in the second leg away game and win the final victory.

The second leg of the match between the two sides will be held on May 29 at the Stade Auguste de Launay, the home stadium of Reims . The winner will qualify for the 2025/26 Ligue 1 season. Let's wait and see who will have the last laugh.