Preview: Strasbourg vs Toulouse – prediction, team news, line-ups
Sports Mole preview Sunday’s Ligue 1 clash between Strasbourg and Toulouse, including predictions, team news and possible line-ups.
Strasbourg take charge Toulouse at the Stade de la Meinau during the last round of Ligue 1 matches on Sunday afternoon.
Halfway through the season, the hosts are only outside the relegation zone on goal difference, while the visitors are doing slightly better, currently sitting in 12th place.
Match preview
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Strasbourg have amassed just 15 points in 19 games played so far this season, only above 17th-placed Brest as they have scored five more goals, netting 24 times.
The main problem for the Blue and Whites is an abysmal home record, picking up just six points from 10 games at the Stade de la Meinau, the second-worst record of any team in the division.
Incredibly, the team now managed by Mathieu Le Scornet are still looking for their first home win this season, drawing six times and losing four, most recently playing a 2-2 draw with Lens.
Scornet only took over as manager earlier this month, with the assistant manager replacing Julien Stephan after his dismissal, and doing enough to secure his place in the dugout for the foreseeable future.
The decisive factor was probably the triumph of the Blue and Whites in their last game, beating a strong Lyon side 2-1 away thanks to first-half goals from Jean-Eudes Aholou and Habib Diallo.
Strasbourg are showing signs of improvement, but so are their opponents, with Toulouse now unbeaten in their last five competitive matches, winning four times and scoring 17 goals in the process.
Granted, a lot of them came in a Coupe de France draw against fifth-tier side Lannion as Les Pitchouns won resounding 7-1 victories, but there were also signs that they are capable of similar performances against better teams. .
In the next trip, Philippe MontanierThe Auxerre side beat Auxerre in Ligue 1, beating them 5-0, with five different scorers on the scoresheet.
Montanier will hope these recent results have put an end to their poor away record, as Toulouse have acquired the second-fewest points of any side in the division on the road, picking up just seven.
Last time out, Les Pitchouns booked their place in the Coupe de France round of 16 with a comfortable 2-0 win over AC Ajaccio, but they are likely to have a tougher test on Saturday, given they don’t have not beaten Strasbourg in their last 11 attempts.
Strasbourg Ligue 1 form:
Form of Toulouse Ligue 1:
Toulouse form (all competitions):
Team News
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Both managers have struggled with several injuries in recent weeks, and the outlook is not looking up for Toulouse as Jean-Ricner Bellegarde picked up an ankle problem last game, so Ibrahima Sissoko could join the team.
Dimitri Lienard also got injured against Lyon, so Franci Bouebari could enter at left-back, with Ismael Doukoure on the opposite side, while Alexandre Djiku, Gerzino Nyamsi and Lucas Perrin should keep their place in the middle.
As for Toulouse, Rhys Healey is unavailable due to a long-term knee injury with the Englishman expected to be out for a few more months, so Teen Onaiwu is the natural choice to lead the line.
Denis Genreau is another notable absentee, as the midfielder still suffers from a muscle problem, and therefore Veljko Burmancevic is about to start in the engine room, playing next to Branco van den boomen and Stijn Spierings in a 4-3-3 system.
Possible starting line-up from Strasbourg:
salts; Djiku, Nyamsi, Perrin; Doukouré, Sissoko, Prcic, Aholou, Liénard; Gameiro, Diallo
Possible departure composition from Toulouse:
dupe; Sulla, Rouault, Nicolaisen, Diarra; Spierings, Van Den, Birmancevic; Ratao, Aboukhlal, Onaiwu
They say: Strasbourg 0-2 Toulouse
Toulouse have been in sensational form so far this year, both defensively and offensively, so we expect them to pick up a comfortable win against Strasbourg on Sunday.
The hosts have shown much more promise under Le Scornet, but they are still in a very bad position in the league, so there is no better chance for Toulouse to end their long winless streak against their opponents. .
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Trick
Our expert forecasting partners at Sportita.com predict more than 2.5 goals in this game. Click here to find out what else they predict for this game and for more of their proven football tips.More than 2.5: data