The Daily Star Ireland
On Friday, Paris Saint-Germain will host Toulouse at Parc des Princes for an exciting Ligue 1 showdown.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Form
PSG comes into this match after a dominant 4-2 victory over Angers SCO. In that game, PSG controlled 70% opossession and registered 26 attempts on goal, with 12 hitting the target. Kang-in Lee scored twice in the first half, and Bradley Barcola added two more goals.
Angers managed 10 shots, with 3 on target, scoring through Esteban Lepaul and Emmanuel Biumla. Over the past 6 matches, PSG has been in excellent attacking form, scoring 14 goals while conceding 7. However, they have struggled against Toulouse in recent league encounters, having not won their last 2 matches against them.
PSG has been solid at home, though, remaining unbeaten in their last 5 league matches at Parc des Princes.
Toulouse’s Form
Toulouse heads into this clash after a 2-0 win against Rennes. Despite having just 33% possession, they made their opportunities count, with Joshua King and Aron Dønnum scoring in the 14th and 23rd minutes, respectively. Toulouse has been consistent in attack, scoring in all of their last 6 matches and tallying 9 goals.
Their defense has shown some vulnerabilities, allowing 5 goals during this stretch. Toulouse has been strong on the road lately, staying unbeaten in their last 2 away matches.
Head-to-Head
In their last 6 encounters dating back to 2019, PSG has won 4, Toulouse has won 1, and there has been 1 draw. The two teams have combined for 18 goals in those matches, with PSG scoring 13 and Toulouse 5. The most recent meeting was in May 2024, when Toulouse won 3-1 at PSG. Despite dominating possession and shots, PSG couldn’t break down Toulouse’s defense, and Kylian Mbappé’s early goal wasn’t enough to secure the win.
Team News
For PSG, defenders Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles tendon rupture) and Lucas Hernández (cruciate ligament tear) are unavailable. PSG is likely to line up in a 4-3-3 formation, featuring Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal, with Achraf Hakimi, Willian Pacho, Lucas Beraldo, and Nuno Mendes in defense. Warren Zaïre-Emery, Fabian Ruiz, and Vítinha will anchor the midfield, while Ousmane Dembélé, Marco Asensio, and Bradley Barcola will lead the attack.
Toulouse’s coach Carles Martínez Novell has almost a full-strength squad, with the exception of Rasmus Nicolaisen, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Toulouse is expected to play in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Guillaume Restes in goal and a defense of Mark McKenzie, Charlie Cresswell, and Gabriel Suazo. Djibril Sidibé, Vincent Sierro, C. Cásseres Jr, and Aron Dønnum will form the midfield, with Zakaria Aboukhlal and Joshua King leading the attack.
Prediction
Paris Saint-Germain is expected to dominate possession and create numerous chances. While Toulouse may struggle to break down PSG’s defense, they are likely to score at least once. We predict a comfortable 3-1 victory for PSG, with under 3.5 goals in the match.
