Auxerre Vs Strasbourg

As both teams set their sights on European qualification for the upcoming season, Angers and Toulouse prepare to lock horns in a crucial Ligue 1 showdown at the Stade Raymond Kopa this Sunday. The encounter promises to be a significant moment in their respective campaigns, with both sides looking to make strides towards their ambitions.

Angers, under the guidance of Alexandre Dujeux, have struggled for consistency in recent weeks. Their performances have left much to be desired, with only one victory in their last five league outings, complemented by two draws and two defeats. Their journey in the Coupe de France came to an abrupt end earlier this week following a disappointing elimination at the hands of Reims, adding further pressure on the squad to produce a positive result this weekend.

Their last Ligue 1 fixture saw them squander a golden opportunity to secure three points against relegation-threatened Saint-Etienne. After clinching a hard-fought 1-0 victory away from home against the very team that later knocked them out of the cup, Angers found themselves in a high-scoring 3-3 draw that exposed their defensive vulnerabilities. That result has left them in 12th place with 27 points, but with Lyon holding onto sixth place with 36 points—the final qualifying spot for the UEFA Conference League—they remain within striking distance.

Victory on Sunday would bring Angers level on points with their opponents, Toulouse, who currently occupy 10th place. However, given that Dujeux’s side has only managed three wins at home throughout the season, securing a much-needed triumph will be an uphill battle. Nonetheless, signs of improvement have emerged in recent weeks, with two of those three home wins occurring in 2025. Furthermore, Angers have lost just one of their last four home fixtures, a statistic that provides them with some encouragement as they attempt to take at least a point from this contest.

On the other side of the pitch, Toulouse arrive with their own set of struggles. Under the stewardship of Carles Martinez Novell, they have endured a challenging run, securing only one win in their last seven matches across all competitions while suffering three defeats in their last six. Despite their inconsistent performances, their most recent outing saw them dismantle Le Havre in a commanding 4-1 victory, a result that provided a much-needed boost to their confidence and placed them on 30 points—just six points adrift of Lyon.

The prospect of securing back-to-back victories presents Toulouse with an opportunity to climb up the table, potentially reaching eighth place should other results work in their favor. Encouragingly, their away form has been relatively solid, with three wins and two draws from their last five matches on the road. Such resilience on their travels suggests that Novell's men will be pushing for maximum points, recognizing that momentum at this stage of the season could be pivotal.

Their previous meeting with Angers earlier in the season ended in a 1-1 stalemate, with both teams sharing the spoils. However, Toulouse will be without their goalscorer from that match, Joshua King, who is sidelined due to injury. His absence places added responsibility on striker Frank Magri, who found the net against Le Havre and will need to replicate that form if his side is to claim all three points on Sunday.

Ultimately, both teams approach this fixture with much at stake. Angers are desperate to rediscover their form and solidify their position in the standings, while Toulouse see this as a golden opportunity to gain ground on the European places. With both sides harboring aspirations beyond mid-table mediocrity, Sunday’s clash is poised to be a fiercely contested encounter, with every pass, tackle, and goal carrying significant weight in their season’s trajectory.