Toulouse vs Monaco

When Monaco plays Toulouse on Friday night, they will be looking to win two straight games in Ligue 1.

While eighth-place Toulouse defeated Angers 4-0 in their most recent game, the visitors, who are now fourth in the Ligue 1 standings, will go into the match fresh off a 3-0 victory over Reims.

Between January 12 and February 15, Toulouse had a six-game losing streak in Ligue 1, earning only three points. However, they have since bounced back with two strong victories away from home.

Carles Martinez’s team secured an impressive 4-1 victory over Le Havre on February 23, followed by a dominant 4-0 win against Angers in their most recent outing. These results have propelled them to eighth place in the Ligue 1 standings, with 33 points accumulated from 24 matches.

Toulouse are just six points adrift of sixth-placed Lyon as they aim to qualify for European competition for only the seventh time in their history. A win on Friday night would send a strong statement of intent.

Their home form has been inconsistent this season, registering four wins, three draws, and five defeats across 12 matches, earning a total of 15 points. Meanwhile, Monaco have also struggled on the road, managing just 14 points from 11 away fixtures.

Interestingly, Les Violets have claimed victory in two of their last four Ligue 1 encounters with Monaco. However, when the sides met earlier this season, Monaco came out on top with a 2-0 win.

The visitors head into this fixture on the back of a commanding 3-0 triumph over Reims, which lifted them to fourth place in the Ligue 1 table with 43 points from 24 matches in the ongoing 2024-25 campaign.

Adi Hütter’s squad currently trails third-placed Nice by three points and is six points behind second-placed Marseille. However, they are a staggering 19 points behind runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain, who appear poised to dominate the title race once again this season.

The Red and Whites, who placed second in Ligue 1 the previous season, lost 4-3 on aggregate to Benfica in the playoff elimination stage, ending their Champions League run for the 2024–25 season.

Monaco is just six points clear of seventh-place Strasbourg, but they will undoubtedly be aiming to reclaim the runner-up position since they only have the league to concentrate on for the rest of the season.

The principality team's previous two losses against Friday's opponents in France's top division have actually occurred at home, and they haven't lost to Toulouse away from home since October 2016.

It wouldn't be shocking to see the same starting lineup play here, though, given the hosts haven't mentioned any new problems since their match against Angers last time out.

For Monaco, Aleksandr Golovin, Folarin Balogun, Jordan Teze, and Soungoutou Magassa are still doubtful for the league encounter, while Denis Zakaria will miss it due to suspension.

Mika Biereth, who scored a hat trick against Reims last time out to reach 10 goals in 10 games for the squad, may also be out for the visitors. However, there is optimism that the 22-year-old can get beyond the problem that forced him to be substituted in the side's most recent game.