Toulouse are set to host Nantes at the Stadium de Toulouse on Sunday afternoon on the opening matchday of the 2024-25 Ligue 1 season.
The hosts finished in 11th place with 43 points from 34 matches last campaign, while the visitors secured their safety with a four-point lead over the relegation zone, placing in 14th.
Match preview
The 2019-20 season saw Toulouse suffer relegation as the league was suspended early due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, sitting bottom of the league with a dismal 13 points from 28 matches at the time of its suspension.
They were defeated by Nantes in the relegation-promotion playoffs in 2020-21 after finishing third in their first campaign in Ligue 2, consigning them to another season in the second division.
Toulouse excelled in the following term, winning 23 and drawing 10 of their 38 league fixtures to lead them to a Ligue 2 title, securing their promotion back to France's top flight.
The 2022-23 season was another successful one for Les Violets, comfortably avoiding relegation with a 13th-placed finish, 13 points above the drop zone, and winning the club's first-ever Coupe de France title, beating former manager Antoine Kombouare's Nantes side 5-1 in the final.
In the subsequent campaign, Toulouse placed 11th in the league and successfully progressed from a difficult Europa League group containing Liverpool, Union Saint-Gilloise and LASK, though they were eliminated in the knockout playoff round by Benfica.
Carles Martinez, who took over from Philippe Montanier in July 2023, will be looking to continue Toulouse's upward trajectory in recent seasons, aiming for a first top-half finish since placing ninth in 2013-14.
As for Nantes, Kombouare had previously been in charge of the club between February 2021 and his eventual sacking in May 2023, and the Frenchman was re-hired in March 2024 after the dismissal of Jocelyn Gourvennec.
After finishing ninth and winning the Coupe de France in 2021-22, Nantes found themselves in a surprising relegation battle in the subsequent campaign, narrowly surviving by one point in 16th place thanks to a victory on the final day.
Despite swapping Kombouare for Gourvennec in the 2023-24 season, Nantes were once again fighting for their survival and the side were sat 16th in the table when Kombouare was re-hired ahead of matchday 27.
The 60-year-old manager led the team to victory in his first match against Nice, followed by one victory and two draws in the following seven outings, enough to narrowly secure their safety with a four-point lead over the drop zone.
Ahead of the 2024-25 term, where Nantes will be looking to distance themselves from any potential relegation battles, Kombouare has guided them to three wins and two draws from six friendly outings.
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Team News
Summer signings Charlie Cresswell and Djibril Sidibe could be in line for their first competitive starts for Toulouse, making up part of the defence alongside Rasmus Nicolaisen and Gabriel Suazo.
Frank Magri, who netted five times in the league last year, is expected to become the starting striker for the hosts this season following the departure of Thijs Dallinga, who moved to Bologna over the summer.
Guillaume Restes is likely to come straight back into the side after spending the summer with the France team at the 2024 Olympics.
The visitors will be unable to call upon the services of Florent Mollet, Ignatius Ganago and Bastien Meupiyou due to ongoing injury issues.
The departure of Moussa Sissoko to Watford means that Pedro Chirivella and Douglas Augusto are likely to play in midfield, with Moses Simon operating just ahead of them.
Toulouse possible starting lineup:
Restes; Sidibe, Nicolaisen, Cresswell, Suazo; Sierro, Casseres; Aboukhlal, Gboho, Donnum; Magri
Nantes possible starting lineup:
Lafont; Coco, Zeze, Castelletto, Centonze; Thomas, Augusto, Chirivella, Abline; Simon; Kadewere
We say: Toulouse 2-1 Nantes
This matchup will be the second season in a row that Toulouse and Nantes face each other on the opening day, with the hosts recording a 2-1 victory in that encounter.
The hosts have had much more joy in the league in the last two years, while the visitors have endured successive relegation battles, suggesting Toulouse will win this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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