Toulouse host Reims in a Ligue 1 fixture on Thursday with both teams looking to get their campaign back on track. Toulouse have shown some improvement in recent weeks and should have the edge over their visitors, who appear to still be deep in their struggles.
Things have been a bit rough for Toulouse this season as they are currently wallowing in the bottom half of the Ligue 1 standings. They have picked up just one win from their last five matches.
The good news for Toulouse is that the win came in their previous Ligue 1 fixture as they triumphed 3-0 at Montpellier. Manager Carles Martinez will be keen to use that performance and result as a spark to jump-start their campaign.
It has been a better start to the season for Reims as they are currently mixing it up around the European places. However, Luka Elsner’s men have found things difficult in recent weeks having lost their last two matches.
Reims will travel to Toulouse off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Brest last time out in Ligue 1. They attempted a fightback after going two goals down with Joseph Okumu pulling one back, but could not complete the turnaround.
How the bookies view it: Toulouse to prevail
Toulouse have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at evens by Betfred to claim the win. A victory for Reims is valued at 11/4 by Betfred, who is also offering odds of 5/2 for a draw.
Head to head: Toulouse on top
Toulouse have a 12-4 advantage with five draws from 21 previous matches against Reims. They are also unbeaten in four of the last five fixtures, claiming three wins in that run, including a 3-2 victory in the most recent meeting back in February.
Players to watch: Eyes on Aboukhlal
Zakaria Aboukhlal netted a brace last time out at Montpellier and could be the one to watch for Toulouse. The attacker now has three goals this season and is priced at 15/7 by Betfred to get on the score sheet on Sunday.
Reims have also shown some attacking quality and will look to Keito Nakamura to provide the spark going forward. The attacker has five Ligue 1 goals so far and is priced at 12/5 by Betfred to find the net on Sunday.
Probable line-ups
Toulouse have just one injury problem, with defender Rasmus Nicolaisen the only player currently sidelined. They are likely to keep faith with the team that won at Montpellier, with Aboukhlal expected to feature in attack while Charlie Cresswell should continue at the back.
Reims will be without a number of players as Marshall Munetsi and Aurelio Buta are suspended while Reda Khadra and Mohamed Daramy are sidelined with injury. Okumu should retain his place in defence while Nakamura is set continue in attack
Toulouse: Restes, Sidibe, Cresswell, McKenzie, Kamanzi, Casseres, Sierro, Donnum, Gboho, Aboukhlal, King
Reims: Diouf, Akieme, Agbadou, Okumu, Busi, Edoa, Munetsi, Fofana, Ito, Nakamura, Diakite
Anything else catch the eye?
Toulouse and Reims produced a five goal thriller in their previous meetings and could be set for another high-scoring encounter. Over 3.5 goals is priced at 2/1 with Betfred, who is also offering odds of 4/5 for over 2.5 goals.
Both teams have a knack for early goals and could be backed to score in the first half at 3/1 with Betfred.
This French Ligue 1 match between Toulouse and Reims will be played on Nov 3, 2024 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Toulouse vs Reims prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
