Preview: Auxerre vs Toulouse - prediction, team news, lineups

Auxerre can ensure they remain above the relegation line on Sunday with a victory over Toulouse on matchday five of the Ligue 1 campaign at Stade de l’Abbe Deschamps.

The Burgundy club are two points above that zone after losing 2-1 versus Monaco, while Toulouse are 10th, having suffered that same result against Lille.

Match preview

For a second successive match, it was close but no cigar for Christophe Pelissier’s men, who have lost their last two league fixtures by a single goal.

Another defeat this weekend would equal their longest losing run at Stade de l’Abbe Deschamps from the previous Ligue 1 campaign (two).

So far this season, they have netted the joint second-fewest goals domestically (three), scoring only once in the opening 45 minutes of play.

While their early relegation danger is cause for concern, AJA were in a similar position last season, also losing three of their opening four games, but wound up finishing well above the relegation line in 11th.

Four of their previous seven home matches in this competition ended in defeat, which is one more than they suffered in their previous 21 top-flight affairs in the Burgundy region before that.

Three of the last four times they scored the opening goal in a Ligue 1 match, Auxerre failed to win, though their only victory of 2025-26 occurred in that scenario.

Toulouse are the latest French side to fall victim to Lille’s late-game heroics, conceding twice in the latter stages of matchday four as Les Dogues denied them consecutive away victories.

It was the first time that they had lost a league fixture when netting the opening goal since a 2-1 away defeat versus Strasbourg in March, allowing two second-half strikes on that occasion as well.

On Sunday, they can reach two away wins in this competition after five league contests, something which took them until matchday 11 to achieve a season ago.

Carles Martinez has to be concerned about how shaky his group have been defensively of late, conceding a combined eight goals in their last two league fixtures, one more than in their previous eight domestic affairs.

Only three points currently separate them from a place in Europe, while a victory would mark the best opening five games for them in this competition since 2019-20 (eight points after five matches).

Le Tefece are unbeaten in their last six Ligue 1 meetings with Auxerre, collecting points in three successive visits to Stade de l’Abbe Deschamps.

Auxerre Ligue 1 form:

Toulouse Ligue 1 form:

Team News

Defender Nathan Buayi-Kiala missed another match for Auxerre last week due to a cruciate ligament tear, Sinaly Diomande had a sore thigh, Clement Akpa was dealing with a groin strain and Francisco Sierralta sat out because of a knock.

Josue Casimir will be suspended for this match, Donovan Leon is eligible to return from his two-game ban, while an own-goal by Mohammed Salisu was all the offence they could provide against Monaco.

On the Toulouse side, Niklas Schmidt is likely to miss another game with a cruciate ligament tear, while Alexis Vossah must sit out with a red card suspension.

Frank Magri put them in front early in the second half last week and is in a five-way tie for the goalscoring lead in Ligue 1 heading into this week, with three.

Auxerre possible starting lineup:

Leon; Sy, Senaya, Siwe, Mensah; Sinayoko, Owusu, Danois, Osman; Mara, Coulibaly

Toulouse possible starting lineup:

Restes; McKenzie, Cresswell, Nicolaisen; Donnum, Casseres, Sauer, Methalie; Hidalgo, Magri, Gboho

We say: Auxerre 1-0 Toulouse

The return of Leon between the sticks should give Auxerre more confidence to go forward, and the French Guianese keeper has shown he can steal matches, which we believe could happen on Sunday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.