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Two teams in grave danger of being part of the relegation picture in Ligue 1 meet at the Stadium Municipal on Sunday, as Toulouse host bottom-of-the-table Angers.
After being European competitors last season, a dreadful start means Toulouse currently occupy the relegation playoff place, but there is very little to separate the entire bottom half in the French top flight.
Match preview
© Imago
Losing to Lille shortly before the international break saw Toulouse record three straight league defeats for the first time under Carles Martinez, contributing to their worst start since 1993.
With just five points from their opening seven games, Martinez is seemingly being afforded time as the tough start they faced is being taken into consideration.
The three straight defeats recently all came against clubs who finished in the top six last season, and the other came against an impressive Marseille outfit, so now facing the current bottom two in their next two games will provide TFC with the chance to move away from trouble, or raise serious doubts about the Spaniard's future.
However, since the start of last season, Toulouse have only won four of their 21 matches on home soil, unsurprisingly the worst record of any side, as they have only been able to take 20 points from a possible 63 here.
Facing Angers could be the tonic they require though, as Toulouse have lost only once in the last 10 meetings with their upcoming opponents, winning six and keeping seven clean sheets.
Slow and steady progress is how manager Alexandre Dujeux would like to think Angers' season is currently going, because after losing their opening three games, they have now only lost one of the last four.
© Imago
However, despite finding the net in all of their previous five games, Angers are still without a win, bottom of the table, and have the weakest attack in the division.
For the first time since in six decades, Angers have started a top-flight season without winning any of their first seven games, an unwanted feat they did not even manage when they were relegated in 2022-23 with just 18 points from 38 games.
After a surprise instant return from Ligue 2, Angers are heavy favourites to be relegated again, perhaps largely based on the manner in which they went down two seasons ago.
In reality, Le SCO have had a very tough start to the season, as six of their seven games have come against sides in the top nine, and claiming three draws in their last four should be seen as a positive.
Even though they extended their winless run on the road in Ligue 1 to 18 games last time out, Dujeux's side stood firm to hold Marseille to a 1-1 draw at the Velodrome, sharing a red card apiece in the first half, and a goal in the second.
Toulouse Ligue 1 form:
Angers Ligue 1 form:
Team News
© Imago
Toulouse will be without both Aron Donnum and Cristian Casseres due to suspension here, but that is a well-timed ban for the Venezuelan, who may have been rested anyway after returning from South America late this week.
Niklas Schmidt is the only other concern for Martinez, and he will hope to return after coming down with a virus before the break.
All three of Shavy Babicka's goals for TFC have come off the bench, and after struggling to make much of an impact from the start, he was dropped in the defeat to Lille, but he did return to form with a goal for Gabon last week.
Lilian Raolisao was sent off in the first half of Angers' draw at Marseille last time out in his first start of the season, so will be suspended here, with Haitian international Carlens Arcus likely to slot back in at right-back.
Bamba Dieng remains a big miss up front for the visitors, as an ankle problem currently keeps him out, joining Joseph Lopy and Sidiki Cherif on the sidelines.
Toulouse possible starting lineup:
Restes; Sidibe, Nicolaisen, McKenzie; Babicka, Zajc, Sierro, Suazo; Aboukhlal, King, Gboho
Angers possible starting lineup:
Fofana; Arcus, Biumla, Lefort, Hanin; Aholou, Belkebla, Abdelli; Ferhat, Niane, El Melali
We say: Toulouse 3-1 Angers
This is the perfect opportunity for Toulouse to get their season up and running against opponents who they have an excellent recent record against, with just one defeat in 10.
Angers have been finding the net of late, but they are yet to keep a clean sheet or claim a victory this season, and despite holding Marseille last time out, they are rightly the underdogs here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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