Toulouse vs Guingamp Predictions

Toulouse are without a win in their last eight matches and manager Alain Casanova is really feeling the heat after his team put up little to no resistance in their 5-1 defeat last week in Lyon. They conceded 10 shots on target and eight corners in a match they didn’t really look up for despite drawing with les Gones in January. 

There has been a lot of that in the Toulouse camp recently with even the most winnable games looking like mammoth tasks. They have faced many beatable sides recently like Caen (1-1), Bordeaux (1-2) and Nantes (0-2) but each time they have fallen short, much to the disappointment of les Violets faithful. They have scored in each of their last five league games which is a slim silver lining but with a defence as weak as theirs, they are pretty much destined to fail before they even kick off. When they hosted Caen two weeks ago, les Caennaise hadn’t scored in any of their previous five league games but they managed to net against Toulouse which really says it all.

Guingamp have also been in dire straits as they currently prop up the Ligue 1 table but technically they are unbeaten in their last three games with two wins and a well-deserved win bringing them within a point of 19th. They have spent almost the entire season in 20th position as it infamously took them until game week seven for them to get their first point on the board when they drew with Nîmes. Jocelyn Gourvennec was appointed manager in November and while the job he has done hasn’t been brilliant, considering the circumstances it’s incredible how he has dragged them so close to safety. 

His side have really chosen their battles and with five crucial points picked up from their last possible nine, there is hope back in this dressing room. They slogged to the draws against Bordeaux (0-0) and Nantes (0-0) with just one shot on target apiece but they really showed what they’re capable of two weeks ago as they beat Angers 1-0. Lucas Deaux’s 92nd minute winner sent the Stade du Roudourou into raptures and showed that they can still survive if they keep up this solid defence that hasn’t conceded in its last three games. The same back-four of Traoré, Eboa Eboa, Sorbom and Rebocho has played their last three games and shown a lot of mettle and this will presumably be the personnel for this fixture. 

This is such an important game for both sides as the league enters its final ten games. Toulouse need to stay away from a relegation dogfight and Guingamp need to win said dogfight, as it is pretty much inevitable that they are going to be in and around the bottom three come May. Toulouse are winless in their last eleven home games though, and with Guingamp’s recent upturn in form we’re going to back a win for Gourvennec’s men. Guingamp’s last four wins have been by a one goal margin but with the last five clashes of these teams seeing both teams score, we’re predicting a 2-1 victory for the visitors.