Toulouse have an opportunity to avenge a lopsided 6-1 defeat against Marseille from earlier this season when they welcome Les Olympiens to Stadium de Toulouse for a Ligue 1 encounter on Sunday.
Since that aforementioned loss, Les Pitchouns have points in six of their previous seven domestic outings, defeating Rennes 3-1 last weekend, while Marseille moved to within five points of the leaders Paris Saint-Germain thanks to a 2-0 triumph over Clermont.
Match preview
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After ending 2022 on such a sour note with that defeat at the Stade Velodrome, suffering their worst loss in the top-flight since 2015, Toulouse have turned over a new leaf in 2023.
Lately, the shoe has been on the other foot for Le Tef, who have unleashed their attacking prowess against those who visit their home ground, winning their last four matches in all competitions at Stadium de Toulouse by a combined score of 12-3.
In their previous two league fixtures at home, Toulouse have only conceded twice, though one was a penalty by Mama Balde in a 4-1 triumph over Troyes, while they had an own goal versus Rennes last weekend in what was a comfortable triumph.
Heading into this match, Philippe Montanier's men have 32 points after 23 league fixtures, the most for this club at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 2011-12, when they collected 34 points and ended the season in eighth.
With 16 points taken in the top flight this year, Toulouse have accumulated the second-most among Ligue 1 sides in 2023, behind only Monaco, who have collected 17 over that same period.
It has been a long time since they defeated Marseille on home soil, losing their last three league games against them at Stadium de Toulouse, with their previous victory versus OM coming during the 2006-07 season (3-0).
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Marseille have bounced back nicely since their 3-1 defeat at home to Nice earlier this month, knocking PSG out of the Coupe de France (2-1) and blanking Clermont all in less than a week.
Their domestic victory last Saturday was the fifth straight for them away from home in this competition, while OM have not conceded in three successive Ligue 1 fixtures on the road.
With 15 wins in 23 league contests this season, it matches their highest total at this stage of a top-flight campaign, with Les Minots finishing in a top-four position by the end of their previous four domestic seasons in which they managed such a tally.
Igor Tudor's men have been in fine form domestically for some time now, losing just one of their previous 11 fixtures, scoring in all of those games for a total of 25 goals.
Marseille have not allowed a goal in the opening half away from home all year, conceding only once on the road in this competition in 2023.
Their 3-0 defeat at Toulouse during the 2006-07 Ligue 1 campaign was not only the last time they lost to them away from home, but it was also the last time that Le Tefece defeated them in regulation time of any competition.
Team News
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Montanier inserted four new players into the Toulouse starting 11 versus Rennes who did not begin their Coupe de France match against Reims, as Maxime Dupe, Rasmus Nicolaisen, Brecht Dejaegere and Rafael Ratao replaced Kjetil Haug, Logan Costa, Branco van den Boomen and Vincent Sierro.
Goals from Ratao, Zakaria Aboukhlal and Thijs Dallinga gave them a 3-0 lead over Rennes last weekend, with the only blemish coming when Anthony Rouault scored on his own goal in the 55th minute.
Fares Chaibi has scored in two of his last three matches in all competitions, with his previous one coming in the round of 16 at the Coupe de France when he and Aboukhlal each found the back of the net, while an own goal from Reims keeper Yehvann Diouf gave them an early lead.
Marseille centre-back Samuel Gigot was replaced by Eric Bailly in the second half of their match with Clermont after suffering an ankle injury which will keep him sidelined until early March.
Alexis Sanchez is up to nine goals domestically after notching a brace in their previous outing when Pau Lopez made four stops, drawing even with Diouf of Reims for third in Ligue 1 regarding clean sheets (eight).
When they trounced Toulouse at the end of 2022, Les Olympiens got contributions from six different players, one of which was Le Tef centre-back Nicolaisen, who had an own goal, with other strikes coming courtesy of Valentin Rongier, Sead Kolasinac, Dimitri Payet, Cengiz Under and Nuno Tavares.
Toulouse possible starting lineup:
Dupe; Kamanzi, Nicolaisen, Rouault, Desler; Chaibi, Spierings, Van den Boomen; Ratao, Dallinga, Aboukhlal
Marseille possible starting lineup:
Lopez; Balerdi, Bailly, Kolasinac; Under, Rongier, Veretout, Clauss; Guendouzi, Payet; Sanchez
We say: Toulouse 0-2 Marseille
We should see a different-looking Toulouse side who seem to have settled down nicely since some shaky performances at the end of 2022.
However, the depth of Marseille and their ability to remain calm and organised when pressed at the back can frustrate opposing teams, while they have plenty of dependable players in attack who can get the job done.
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Top tip
Joel Lefevre
