Monaco vs Toulouse prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2024-02-17 14:00.
A stunning 3-2 victory for Monaco over second-placed Nice last Sunday kept the race for two of the three UEFA Champions League places extremely tight. Adi Hütter’s men, third in Ligue 1 heading into the weekend, could finish this round anywhere between second and sixth, although an inability to win three of their last four league games (D2, L1) has prevented them from providing a stern challenge to runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
Returning to Stade Louis II isn’t necessarily good for the principality club either, as they have failed to win any of their last three Ligue 1 home matches (D1, L2), conceding five times in the process. You have to go back to 2019 to find Monaco’s last run of four winless league games on their own patch, but it is a fate they will be confident of avoiding after winning five of the last six home H2H encounters (L1) against Toulouse.
Toulouse’s sole triumph in that sequence did come on their most recent visit, yet this outing will arguably be tougher as they make the trip to Monaco after a gruelling midweek jaunt to Portugal to face Benfica in the UEFA Europa League, a game in which they put up a good battle but ultimately lost 2-1. European duties may well be taking their toll on the Coupe de France holders, who sit firmly in a relegation battle with just one point separating themselves from the bottom three ahead of the round.
Despite their woes, Toulouse have been a force to be reckoned with on their travels domestically of late, picking up half of their 12 Ligue 1 away points in their last two such matches. Posting a streak of three straight top-flight victories on the road for the first time since 2014 seems unlikely, but Carles MartĂnez Novell’s side have eked out draws in three of their five meetings with top-five opponents (L2) so far this season.
Players to watch: Denis Zakaria scored in both halves of Monaco’s pivotal win at Nice, although the midfielder has also accumulated four yellow cards and a red across his last three appearances. As for Toulouse, their league top scorer Thijs Dallinga (G7) has netted in first or second-half stoppage time in his last two domestic outings.
Hot stat: Monaco have scored in both halves of 12 league games this term (57%) – second only to PSG (14).