On 17 March, one of the matches of the 26th round of the French football championship took place. Reims (France) and Metz (France) met.
French Championship, 26th round
Reims (France) - Metz (France) - 2:1 (1:1)
Goals: O. Diakite (3), J. Ito (79) - A. Atta (14).
Warnings: Christophe Hérel (20), J. Ito (21), C. Sabaly (42), Younis Abdelhamid (51), Marshall Muneci (73), O. Diakite (82), A. Oukidja (82).
In an exciting Ligue 1 match between Reims and Metz at the Stade Auguste-Delaune, fans were treated to a fascinating spectacle. The score was tied 1-1 at half-time, but Reims ended up winning 2-1. At the beginning of the match both teams tested each other's strength, and in the 3rd minute Reims took the lead thanks to O. Diakite's goal. However, Metz quickly responded with a goal by A. Attah in the 14th minute to level the score. The first half was marred by a series of yellow cards, both teams received warnings for aggressive play. K. Erel and K. Sabaly of Metz, as well as J. Ito and Y. Abdelhamid of Reims ended up in the referee's book. At the start of the second half, Reims made a number of substitutions to freshen up the squad.
T. De Smet and T. Focquet came into the game, and in the 73rd minute M. Daramy came into the game. In the 79th minute, Reims achieved the long-awaited success: J. Ito scored his second goal of the match, putting the team ahead. Despite all the attempts of Metz to equalise, Reims held on for the win. The final minutes of the match saw more substitutions and yellow cards, with both teams trying to influence the result. In the end, Reims emerged victorious in this tense struggle. Overall it was an exciting match between Reims and Metz, with both teams showing determination and skill on the pitch. The fans at the Stade Auguste-Delaune witnessed some exciting football as Reims claimed a hard fought 2-1 victory over their opponents.
The following matches await the rivals in the next round: Lyon vs Reims, Metz vs Monaco.
| Reims | Metz | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Kicks to the goal | 1 |
| 9 | Blows | 3 |
| 3 | Blocked punches | 1 |
| 7 | Penalty kicks | 2 |
| 2 | Kicks from outside the penalty box | 1 |
| 6 | Offences | 6 |
| 2 | Corners | 1 |
| 1 | Offsides | 0 |
| 71% | Ball possession | 29% |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 0 | Keeper saves | 2 |
| 259 | Total assists | 101 |
| 227 | Accurate assists | 74 |
| 88% | Accuracy of passes | 73% |