Luis Enrique has urged his Paris Saint-Germain side to win three points against Metz after losing their control of the Ligue 1 title race.
Following their 3-1 defeat to Rennes last time out in the league, PSG are now a point behind Lens at the summit.
With Metz sitting bottom of the French top-flight, the Parisians should have an easy task on their hands at the Parc des Princes.
PSG have not lost any of their last 39 home Ligue 1 matches against promoted sides (W35 D4), since a defeat against Montpellier in May 2010 (1-3).
However, Luis Enrique believes they cannot underestimate their opponents, especially after falling behind in the title race.
"We're going to approach the match against Metz like any other," said the PSG boss.
"It's a very important match because we need to put pressure on Lens and take all three points.
"I can't remember any match against the bottom team that has gone without a hitch. We need those three points."
D-2 before the Metz match! #PSGFCM I @visitrwanda_now pic.twitter.com/iqMjeZZcZM
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) February 19, 2026
PSG were dealt a blow in their Champions League play-off first leg win against Monaco during the week when Ousmane Dembele was substituted due to an injury.
Luis Enrique explained the effects injuries have had on his side this season compared to previous years.
"For Ousmane, it was a blow. We don't want to take any risks with the players, but injuries are part of top-level football," added the Spaniard.
"The difference between this season and the last two is the number of injuries. It prevents us from rotating the squad and has an impact on playing time, so we have to manage it differently.
"This season is very unusual, but we have to deal with it."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Paris Saint-Germain – Vitinha
The three players with the most line-breaking passes into the final third per 90 minutes in Ligue 1 this season (minimum 90 minutes played), all play for PSG: Vitinha (8.9), Dembele (8.8) and Fabian Ruiz (7.9).
Vitinha will also be desperate to atone for his missed penalty against Monaco in the Champions League.
Metz – Jean-Philippe Gbamin
Two of the three players who have won the most possession in the final third of the pitch in Ligue 1 in 2025-26 play for Metz: Jean-Philippe Gbamin (70) and Koffi Kouao (60 – Jordan Lefort has registered 66).
MATCH PREDICTION – PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN WIN
PSG have won their last 15 Ligue 1 matches against Metz, which is the second-longest winning streak for a team against a single opponent in the French top-flight, after PSG's current run against Angers (17).
PSG have both kept the most clean sheets (eight) and conceded the fewest goals (four) at home in the top five European leagues this season. They could also register seven consecutive home wins in Ligue 1 for the first time under Luis Enrique.
Metz have earned just four points away from home in Ligue 1 this season, with no team in Europe's top five leagues having fewer, while only Burnley (32) have conceded more away goals than Metz (31) during the 2025-26 campaign.
Metz have faced the most shots on target (129) and recorded the highest xG against (40.6) in Ligue 1 this season, while PSG have conceded the fewest shots on target (65) and the lowest xG on target (17.9).
The visitors are the 20th team to have 13 points or fewer after 22 Ligue 1 matches in a season (counting three points for a win); each of the previous 19 were directly relegated at the end of the campaign.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Paris Saint-Germain – 79.9%
Draw – 11.5%
Metz – 8.6%