Seeking to snap a disheartening six-game run without a win, Toulouse host newly-promoted Metz in Sunday's Ligue 1 showdown at Stadium Municipal.

Carles Martinez's side failed to cling onto a one-goal lead in a 2-1 beating against Lens last weekend, while Les Grenats lost to Strasbourg 1-0 in the Derby de l'Est.

Match preview

Since subjecting Coupe de France final opponents Nantes to even more heartache with a 2-1 win on the opening day of the campaign, Toulouse have flattered to deceive and then some, and Martinez's men became Lens' first victims of the new term last weekend.

A deft Cesar Gelabert finish in the 33rd minute propelled Les Violets into the ascendancy, but Wesley Said drew Lens level against his former club on the stroke of half time, and substitute Morgan Guilavogui completed the Sang et Or turnaround in the dying embers of the contest.

Bereft of confidence owing to their five-game winless streak in the top flight - as well as a forgettable 1-1 draw with Union SG in their Europa League opener - Toulouse are dancing with the devil in 15th place in the Ligue 1 table, two points above recent foes Lens in the relegation playoff place.

A daunting run of fixtures before the international break also sees Les Violets continue their European campaign against LASK Linz - who gave Liverpool an early scare last week - before a trip to current table-toppers Brest, but restoring a sense of pride at home is item number one on Martinez's agenda.

Indeed, the Coupe de France holders have now gone nine Ligue 1 games without a win at home since beating Rennes 3-1 in February - losing five on the bounce and drawing each of their last four at Stadium Municipal, although holding Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-1 stalemate in August was no mean feat.

Despite outgunning Strasbourg on the shot count 13 to four in a bad-tempered Derby de l'Est - during which no fewer than 31 fouls were committed - Metz were made to pay for their profligacy in the 83rd minute, when Alexandre Oukidja had his head in his hands.

The Grenats number one allowed Habib Diarra's strike to squirm under his body and into the back of the net at the Stade Saint-Symphorien, allowing Strasbourg to travel home with three points and the derby bragging rights while ending Metz's four-game unbeaten streak.

Since a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Rennes on the opening weekend, Metz had reacclimatised to life back in the top division - beating Lens and Clermont 1-0 while holding Marseille and Reims to 2-2 draws - but failure to pick up their first home win of the new term leaves them 11th in the table - a respectable ranking nonetheless.

Furthermore, having achieved back-to-back wins in their last two road affairs, Metz's six points away from home can only be bettered by Reims and Nice's seven, but not since 1998 have Les Grenats prevailed three times in a row on rival turf in Ligue 1 - all of which coincidentally ended 1-0 too.

A 2-2 draw in the curtailed 2019-20 campaign marked a fourth stalemate in a row between Toulouse and Metz, who are now unbeaten in seven successive matches against Les Violets since a 3-0 Stadium Municipal beating in November 2014, when Wissam Ben Yedder was among the scorers for this weekend's hosts.

Team News

During Toulouse's maiden Europa League match last week, Morocco's Zakaria Aboukhlal sustained a severe knee injury with just 40 minutes gone, and the winger is expected to miss several months of action as he rehabilitates from surgery.

A truly crushing blow for Les Violets, Aboukhlal is joined in the medical bay by Oliver Zanden (hip), Ibrahim Cissoko (foot) and Naatan Skytta (ankle), none of whom are expected back for this weekend's contest, and Martinez also has next week's continental showdown with LASK to take into account.

There could still be scope for a couple of changes, though, as Warren Kamanzi and Kevin Keben were both taken off before the hour mark against Lens and are at risk of losing their spots to Aron Donnum and Logan Costa respectively.

As for Laszlo Boloni's crop, the trio of Maxime Colin (calf), Ismael Traore (thigh) and Joseph Nduquidi (muscle) remain in the treatment room for the time being, but no fresh physical concerns have arisen from their defeat to Strasbourg.

Since his loan arrival from Hull City, Oscar Estupinan has failed to score or assist in his opening two appearances and has lasted just over an hour in both games, potentially putting him at risk of losing his place to Simon Elisor or Benjamin Tetteh.

Toulouse possible starting lineup:
Restes; Desler, Costa, Nicolaisen, Suazo; Schmidt, Casseres Jr; Donnum, Gelabert, Genreau; Dallinga

Metz possible starting lineup:
Oukidja; Kouao, Herelle, Cande, Udol; N'Doram, Jacques; Mbaye, Camara, Sabaly; Estupinan

We say: Toulouse 1-1 Metz

Draws have been commonplace in this fixture over the past several years, and while the two sides have not squared off since pre-COVID times, we can envisage a similar pattern continuing here.

Toulouse have established themselves as the stalemate specialists at home, but Metz have developed an affinity for dogged defensive showings on the road, and both sides should leave with another point in the bag.


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