Toulouse vs Lille prediction: FRANCE: Ligue 1 betting tips on match 2023-03-17 16:00.
Toulouse’s return to the French top-flight has been a success, with the Violets now just five points adrift of the sacred 40-point barrier that all-but guarantees survival. Things haven’t been plain sailing of late though, with a three-match losing streak threatening to derail their mid-table status. Philippe Montanier’s men ended that run with a 2-0 win over struggling Angers, a victory described as ‘decisive’ by the manager.
A return home to Stadium Municipal ought to inspire further confidence given that they’ve won 22 of their 35 points this season on their own turf, but Toulouse have lost consecutive games here, so they’ll be looking to avoid a hat-trick of home defeats that they last suffered en route to relegation in 2019/20. A strong H2H home record against visitors Lille in Ligue 1 suggests they could make a return to winning ways (W20, D13, L10), losing just two of the last ten such matches (W3, D5).
Lille bring with them a mediocre run of form on the road, winning just one of their last five away league games (D2, L2), while only 18 of their 46 points have been claimed on their travels this campaign. That’s holding back their pursuit of the European places, a target which was dealt another blow in a blockbuster 3-3 draw with Lyon which saw the Mastiffs concede twice after the 80th minute to squander victory.
Manager Paulo Fonseca put the blame for that on the ‘inexperience’ of his side, so he’ll be looking for them to come of age if they’re to avoid a third straight league draw for the first time since November 2021. A fit and firing attack could be key to dodging that, with only three teams in the division netting more than Lille’s 49 goals ahead of the round.
Players to watch: Toulouse’s success could depend on Thijs Dallinga as he’s netted seven times in his last ten league appearances. His scoring exploits pale in comparison to Lille’s Jonathan David, who’s scored seven times in five league games – a run that has launched him to the top of the Ligue 1 scoring chart.
Hot stat: Toulouse have trailed at half-time in just two of their 14 Ligue 1 home games, while Lille have led at the interval just twice in away league games.