Toulouse host Lyon as both sides sit dangerously close to the relegation zone. Who’s got the upper hand ahead of this fixture?
Les Violets changed too little during the summer window and the start of the new campaign already looks far worse than the ending of the previous one. Carles Martinez has failed to motivate his men to better success and Toulouse sit 13th with a single win in five rounds.
The situation at Lyon is similar or even a bit worse. Les Gones went through one of the toughest schedules at the start of the season, facing the majority of the best teams in the first five rounds. Negative results were to be expected here and there but Lyon failed to beat everyone but Strasbourg.
Most recently, the team crumbled against a 10-man Marseille and lost 2:3 at home with a stoppage-time goal. However, beating Olympiacos Piraeus in the Europa League should help motivate Pierre Sage’s men to do better in the domestic stage.
How the bookies view it: A surprising favourite?
Bookmakers found it difficult to name a clear favourite, although Toulouse have a slight advantage with 29/20 at Betano. Alternatively, you can bet on the visiting side at 9/5 or the draw at 12/5.
Recent head-to-head: The Kids always win
Toulouse and Lyon regularly produce thrilling clashes and there are good reasons to expect the same on Sunday. But while we usually see a bunch of goals between them, Lyon always win. Les Gones are undefeated in the last 16 H2Hs and they even won 14 of those fixtures. Toulouse last triumphed in 2014.
Players to watch: Lacazette's favourite opponent?
Alexandre Lacazette needs to start scoring in Ligue 1 or Lyon will continue to suffer. The Frenchman scored 19 goals in the previous campaign and 27 in the one before. His contributions this season are limited to his single assist in the 4:3 win over Strasbourg.
Given that he contributed with a goal or an assist in each of the four H2Hs since Toulouse returned to the elite, expect him to thrive against one of his favourite opponents. More specifically, Lacazzete has five goals and has assisted once in the last four direct meetings.
Probable line-ups
Toulouse: Restes, McKenzie, Nicolaisen, Sidibe, Donnum, Schmidt, Sierro, Kamanzi, Aboukhlal, Gboho, King
Lyon: Perri, Tagliafico, Caleta-Car, Clinton Mata, Abner, Tolisso, Matic, Veretout, Maitland-Niles, Lacazette, Orban
Anything else catch the eye?
It is becoming more difficult to back Lyon against any team, even in a one-sided rivalry like this one. Lyon won almost every meeting in the last decade but their recent performances suggest otherwise. Opt for the Draw No Bet option instead of the clean win as the odds are high enough in this case.
Otherwise, consider any of the usual goal markets as eight of the last 10 H2Hs ended with over 2.5 goals. Both teams scored at least once in 7/10 too. Toulouse are hardly a high-scoring side but Lyon conceded 11 times in their first five Ligue 1 games this season. Expect action on both ends of the pitch.
This French Ligue 1 match between Toulouse and Lyon will be played on Sep 29, 2024 and kick off at 14:00. Check below for our tipsters best Toulouse vs Lyon prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
