St Etienne vs Toulouse prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2025-05-16 19:00.
[p]After winning promotion from Ligue 2 via the play-offs last season, 17th-placed Saint-Étienne come into the final day needing to win at home to Toulouse to give themselves any realistic hope of avoiding an immediate return to the second tier. A 2-0 victory away at Reims last weekend has given Eirik Horneland’s side a chance of survival if they can overtake Le Havre in 16th, which would mean entering the play-offs once again.[/p]
[p]Les Verts are up against it after picking up just one victory in their last eight home games (D3, L4) and winning only one of their last seven matches to finish a top-flight campaign (D3, L3). A failure to collect successive clean sheets throughout the entire Ligue 1 season raises doubts about their ability to perform defensively here, particularly in the opening 15 minutes during which they have conceded a league-high 13 goals. [/p]
[p]Toulouse have had no such problems in that period as they begin this fixture having conceded just two goals all season in the first 15 minutes of all league matches, a figure which can only be matched by champions Paris Saint-Germain! Carles MartĂnez Novell’s side also arrive on a three-match unbeaten run (W1, D2), a huge improvement after losing their previous five.[/p]
[p]Although they beat Saint-Étienne 2-1 in December, they had not won any of their previous eight top flight H2Hs (D4, L4), so history is against them as they try to extend that unbeaten run. Failing to score in their last two away Ligue 1 matches (D1, L1) doesn’t inspire much hope of a change in fortunes here, although they have scored at least twice in five of their seven away league games this term against sides currently tenth or lower. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Florian Tardieu got Saint-Étienne’s opener in the win over Reims and has provided an assist in four of their eight home games from round 18 onwards, including in their last match at the Stade Geoffrey-Guichard. Gabriel Suazo got an assist in the last H2H but his three league assists since that game have all come in away fixtures.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: None of Saint-Étienne’s last 11 home games across all competitions were goalless at half-time.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Tom Penn[/i][/p]