Toulouse vs Clermont prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2023-03-04 14:00.
A run of three defeats across Toulouse’s last four league games left them five points adrift in the bottom half of the table ahead of this round. Even so, progressing to their first Coupe De France semi-final since 2009 with a rampant 6-1 win over Rodez in midweek boosted the mood around the club. Toulouse boss Philippe Montanier may be quietly confident of justifying their favouritism again here after a positive history in which he has lost just three of his 13 career meetings with Clermont (W6, D4, L3).
Despite their recent Ligue 1 wobbles, newly-promoted Toulouse have accrued more points in their 25 appearances than at the same stage in five of their last six top-flight campaigns. That success has been built on solid foundations at the Stadium Municipal, where Toulouse have only lost in home league action against sides entering this round in the top-three all season (W6, D4, L3).
Although Clermont are nowhere near that top three, they may well fancy themselves to put a dent in Toulouse’s solid home record. Currently on a six-game winless run of league games (D3, L3), Clermont can leapfrog Toulouse into 11th place if they can keep their winning run against newly-promoted sides alive (W5). In fact, they’re the only side in top-flight history to win each of their first five games of a league season against such teams!
Whilst Clermont are eyeing an extension of that positive record, they could on the other hand set a new club record for top-flight away games without a goal should they fail to score for a third straight away trip. The visitors, who are negotiating just their second full Ligue 1 season, have no reason to panic yet, boasting four more points than they did after 25 rounds last season and – perhaps more importantly – sitting ten points above the drop zone ahead of this matchweek
Players to watch: Toulouse’s flying Dutchman Thijs Dallinga could hit a double-figure goal tally for the first time in a top-flight league season if he can build on his five-goal haul across his last six appearances. Trying to outdo him will be Clermont’s Elbasan Rashani, who has scored two of their only three goals across the last seven rounds.
Hot stat: Toulouse’s Ligue 1 games in 2023 have produced a league-high 32 goals (3.56 per match on average).