If Claude Puel’s side could have cherry-picked a fixture they needed to win in order to avoid the play-off lottery, it surely would have been a home match against the division’s bottom club with the worst defensive record across Europe’s top-five leagues.
However, the already-relegated visitors certainly didn’t read the script after making a fine start here, shredding the hosts’ nerves even further.
Nice shot-stopper Yehvann Diouf was twice called into action to parry away efforts by Giorgi Abuashvili and Believe Munongo in the opening 20 minutes, before Giorgi Kvilitaia headed over from Gauthier Hein's corner.
Les Aiglons looked to gain a foothold themselves with off-target attempts for Sofiane Diop and Ali Abdi, but early goals elsewhere for rivals Auxerre and Le Havre added to the anxious atmosphere inside the Allianz Riviera.
The hosts needed a morale booster from somewhere, and Diop looked to provide it with a right-footed strike from the edge of the box which sailed inches wide of the post as half time approached.
Nice showed more urgency after the restart with a flurry of activity inside the Metz box. Mohamed-Ali Cho and Dante both missed the target with their respective headers from Abdi’s cross and Jonathan Clauss’ corner, while Jonathan Fischer was called into action to keep out Diop’s low effort.
Puel’s side continued to push forward, as Morgan Sanson threaded a delightful pass towards Cho, who prodded his attempt agonisingly wide of the far post.
That frustration in the final third was epitomised when Elye Wahi worked his way into a promising position in the box, but failed to engineer a chance for himself.
This point ensures Nice finish 16th in the table, meaning they must now overcome Saint-Étienne in a two-legged tie to extend their 24-year stay in Ligue 1.
This peculiar campaign could still end with silverware though, as Les Aiglons prepare to contest the Coupe de France final against Lens next Friday.
Meanwhile, Benoît Tavenot’s men showed some admirable fight in their top-flight swansong ahead of making an immediate return to Ligue 2 next season.