Toulouse vs Le Havre prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2023-11-04 14:00.
After a promising four-game unbeaten run in all competitions (W2, D2), the recent 5-1 Europa League loss at Liverpool seems to have unsettled Toulouse, who succumbed to their heaviest defeat in Ligue 1 since February in their following match, with their 3-0 reverse at Montpellier leaving them just two points above the bottom three ahead of the round.
While manager Carles Martínez Novell mentioned that fatigue wasn't "the only reason" for this downturn in form, Les Violets will perhaps be thankful for a week without a European fixture as they look to extend their unbeaten record at home in Ligue 1 this season (W1, D3). As it happens, their only win in that sequence was against a newly promoted team in Metz (3-0), and the visit of Le Havre, the other newcomers to the division, presents a potential golden opportunity for the Haute-Garonne outfit.
The hosts must not show any complacency however, as Le Havre have made an identical start to the Ligue 1 campaign (W2, D5, L3, GD -2), although they make this trip to the south of France after failing to gain the upper hand against Metz (0-0), with manager Luka Elsner lamenting his players’ "lack of offensive initiative" in match that saw his team extend their scoreless streak to four outings (D2, L2).
Travelling fans might expect the worst here too, as Le Havre have failed to find the net in five of their last six trips to Toulouse in the top flight, while they’ve never managed a single victory in an away H2H in the 17 meetings since the 1946/47 season (D3, L14)! They also head into this renewal winless in their opening five league road trips this term, but the Sky and Navy have at least proved hard to beat, with only Marseille getting the better of them on their travels thanks to four draws.
Players to watch: Seemingly one for home comforts, Toulouse’s Stijn Spierings last eight league goals have all come on home soil. For the visitors, Le Havre will hope Mohamed Bayo can find the net, after he ended up with a clean-sheet victory in his last five away competitive goalscoring appearances at club level, including against Toulouse in March while playing for Lille.
Hot stat: Since the beginning of last season, Toulouse have lost just one of the 14 Ligue 1 home games in which they were betting favourites (W6, D7, L1).