Soccer France Ligue 1 Prediction

Toulouse vs Lens - Match Preview

⚽ 2 May 2023 - 19:00 GMT +0

After their stunning Coupe de France victory, Toulouse will be hoping their return to league action is not a case of ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’. Le Téfécé lifted their first piece of major silverware by hammering Nantes 5-1 in Saturday’s final, a result which manager Philippe Montanier said would “go down in the history of the competition.”

The boss will now be desperate for his side to use that momentum to propel them towards a top-half finish in Ligue 1 for the first time since 2013/14. That would cap an already remarkable campaign for a club who were promoted back to the first tier just last summer, although they have worryingly lost their last four home league matches, with seven of the eight goals they conceded during that run coming after half-time.

Toulouse may find it tough to end their poor form against visitors Lens, who have won the last three meetings between the two sides, including a 3-0 result in October when Loïs Openda netted a second-half hat-trick. Franck Haise’s side will also arrive at Stade Ernest-Wallon full of confidence after a run of five wins in their last six outings (L1) which has kept them in the hunt for a place in the top three.

The most recent of those victories was a 3-0 demolition of fourth-placed Monaco, which the manager described as “our best match of the season.” That triumph means his side is widely expected to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, although they could do with some more wins on the road after just two victories from their last nine away league outings (D5, L2).

📋 Key battle: Six of Thijs Dallinga’s last eight goalscoring league appearances for Toulouse have seen him net first or last. He will be hoping to extend that record against visiting goalkeeper Brice Samba, who is unbeaten in his previous three meetings with Le Téfécé (W2, D1), keeping one clean sheet in the process.

⚡ Hot streak: Lens has not lost a single Ligue 1 game this season in which they have scored the first goal (W18, D3).