Nantes v Toulouse

Nantes v Toulouse Preview

Nantes are lucky to be included in the upcoming opening fixtures in this season's Ligue 1, and they know it - the hosts avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth at the end of last season and it was only down to a narrow 1-0 home win against the bottom placed side, Angers, that ultimately saved them from the drop down into Ligue 2.

Nantes had previously slumped in alarming fashion in the French top flight and they had looked for all money to be heading through the trap-door following a woeful sequence of 14 matches without a win in Ligue 1 which included nine defeats but the win against Angers on the final day of last season's campaign has preserved their top flight status for at least another term.

Form and results on home soil at their Stade de la Beaujoire also suffered as a result, as the hosts managed to capture just one win from their final eight matches in their own backyard, including defeats at the hands of Rennes, Reims, Strasbourg and Montpellier.

Three of Nantes' final eight home games also consisted of three draws and this seemingly looks to be Nantes' best chance of getting anything from this upcoming clash.

Toulouse enjoyed a much more stable Ligue 1 campaign than their hosts by comparison as the visitors achieved a 13th place finish where they held a commanding 13-point cushion above the relegation zone which was courtesy of a five-match unbeaten run at the end of last season.

Points picked up in draws with Ajaccio, Nantes, Nice and Auxerre along with a welcome three points in the form of an impressive 2-1 win away from home at Monaco helped Toulouse to steer clear of any last-minute dramas, unlike their upcoming hosts.

Even more impressive though was Toulouse's promising finish to last season's campaign on their travels as the visitors collected wins on the road at Montpellier, Lorient and the aforementioned Monaco, as well as points earned in draws at Ajaccio and Nice, and this may well be the momentum that could get Toulouse over the line in this forthcoming fixture at the Stade de la Beaujoire on Sunday afternoon.

Nantes v Toulouse Verdict

The previous meeting between Nantes and Toulouse resulted in a comprehensive 5-1 victory for the visitors in the Coupe de France with Toulouse going all the way and winning the domestic cup competition, thus earning them a place in Europe this season.

Having won only once in their last eight matches at home, Nantes look to have a mountain to climb here this Sunday against a side who comprehensively beat them last time out, and another victory looks to be on the cards here for Toulouse in a low-scoring game.

Therefore, our main bet will be Under 2.5 goals @ 1.80

Other side bets worth considering:

Toulouse win @ 2.75

Correct score: Toulouse 1-0 @ 9.00