Toulouse v. Paris: On the banks of the Garonne

A LOOK AT THE TABLE

After a tough start to the season, Toulouse somewhat managed to turn things around with a string of positive results between October and December 2024. Since the turn of the year, though, their form has dipped once again, and with just one win in their last six league outings, Les Violets are looking for a second wind. Despite earning an encouraging pair of draws away to Lyon (0-0) and at home to Nice (1-1), TFC now haven't won a game in over a month and find themselves languishing in tenth place in the Ligue 1 table, with 27 points to their name.

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain's current trajectory is a very different one. Still unbeaten in the French top flight this season, the capital club is setting a hellish pace for its competitors to keep up with, which has already seen them rack up 53 points – ten more than nearest chasers Marseille – from 21 games. On top of their recent victories on the road in the UEFA Champions League (4-1 v. Stuttgart and 3-0 v. Brest) as well as their 2-0 win over Le Mans in the Coupe de France, Les Parisiens are coming off the back of two straight successes in Ligue 1 (5-2 v. Brest and 4-1 v. Monaco).

THE TWO TEAMS' FORM IN NUMBERS

the opposition's strengths

Carles Martínez Novell mainly sets his team up in a 5-2-3 formation. In goal, Kjetil Haug may have recently stood in for usual starter Guillaume Restes, but the France under-21 international is expected to make his return against Les Rouge et Bleu, behind centre-backs Marc McKenzie and Gabriel Suazo. It remains to be seen who will complete the hosts' three-man defence, however, with Rasmus Nicolaisen still out injured and Djibril Sidibé doubtful. In the event that the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner with France were unable to keep his starting spot, he could well be replaced by England under-21 international Charlie Cresswell, who got himself on the scoresheet away to Auxerre last weekend.

At right-back, two players – namely Warren Kamanzi and Rafik Messali – will be looking to lock down a place in their side's starting XI, although the former appears to be the favourite thanks to his more battle-hardened defensive attributes. On the opposite side, Norway international Aron Dønnum is set to take advantage of his teammate Suazo's shift to a more central position in order to establish himself as a starter for Les Violets, while in midfield, Cristian Cásseres is still enjoying the confidence of Toulouse's coaching staff and is therefore likely to start against Les Parisiens. Alongside him will be returning captain Vincent Sierro, although 18-year-old Jaydee Canvot certainly impressed in the Swiss's absence.

Slovenian international Miha Zajc could make an appearance during the game, unlike Niklas Schmidt, who remains sidelined for the long-term due to a knee injury. In attack, the Spanish coach has to deal with numerous uncertainties. However, one thing is certain: Toulouse does not lack quality in this area.

On the wings, Moroccan international Zakaria Aboukhlal (6 goals and 2 assists in Ligue 1 this season) is expected to feature. To accompany him, Yann Gboho (2 goals, 2 assists) seems to have a slight advantage, but the former Stade Rennais FC player is not guaranteed to be fit enough to start at the Stadium.

If he is unable to play, Shavy Babicka (4 goals, 1 assist) could step in. Though he has been less effective in recent months, he showed his talent earlier in the season. Finally, leading the attack, Joshua King (4 goals, 3 assists) has had a promising first season in Occitanie. However, the Norwegian international is also uncertain to start due to a calf issue, which could push the Toulouse staff to turn to Frank Magri up front.

In any case, the Rouge et Bleu will need to adapt and show determination otherwise, they risk giving the hosts the chance to ignite a Stadium that will be eagerly waiting for it.