Preview: Lens vs. Toulouse - prediction, team news, lineups

Last season's runners-up have taken a solitary point from a possible 15 this term, while Les Violets have picked up six points thanks to a run of one defeat in five matches.

Match preview

Lens head into Sunday's showdown on the back of a 1-1 draw against Sevilla in their opening Champions League clash, with Angelo Fulgini's 24th-minute strike cancelling out Lucas Ocampos's ninth-minute opener at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

That result extended the Blood and Gold's winless streak to six matches across all competitions in 2023-24, with one draw and four losses preceding Wednesday's stalemate in Spain, meaning that Lens' last competitive victory came all the way back on June 3.

The tone for Lens' campaign was set on the opening weekend of the Ligue 1 season when Franck Haise's men threw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 against Brest, with a subsequent 1-1 draw against Rennes producing the club's sole league point of the season to date.

Following a 3-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, the Blood and Gold endured a 3-0 loss against Monaco before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Metz last weekend, so Haise will be desperate for his players to rediscover their best form and stop the rot on Sunday.

Toulouse were also in European action in midweek as they kicked off their Europa League campaign in Belgium, playing out a 1-1 draw with Union Saint-Gilloise on Thursday, although Thijs Dallinga's goal was marred by Logan Costa's red card.

Still, Les Violets have lost just one of their six matches across all competitions in 2023-24, with a 2-0 defeat against Strasbourg coming prior to the international break, meaning that Carles Martinez Novell's side find themselves in a strong position.

It is worth noting, however, that Toulouse have drawn four of their last five matches, with their only victory of the season coming against Nantes on the opening weekend, although there is no shame in drawing with perennial champions PSG and unbeaten Marseille.

Having taken six points from a possible 15 this term, Toulouse already sit five points clear of bottom club Lens and only two points shy of PSG and the European places, so the Occitania outfit will fancy their chances of heaping more misery on struggling Lens.

Lens Ligue 1 form:

Lens form (all competitions):

Toulouse Ligue 1 form:

Toulouse form (all competitions):

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Team News

Jimmy Cabot (knee) and Wuilker Farinez (knee) remain long-term injury absentees for Lens, who will also be without Portuguese midfielder David Costa this weekend as he continues to recover from a shoulder issue.

Franck Haise could be tempted to stick with the same starting XI that produced an improved performance against Sevilla in midweek, meaning that Elye Wahi will lead the line, with Florian Sotoca and Angelo Fulgini offering attacking support to the lone striker.

At the opposite end of the pitch, ex-Nottingham Forest stopper Brice Samba will retain his place between the sticks, while Jonathan Gradit, Kevin Danso and Facundo Medina should line up in a back three.

Toulouse have several injury problems of their own, with Ylies Aradj, Ibrahim Cissoko, Naatan Skytta and Oliver Zanden all expected to miss Sunday's trip to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

Carles Martinez Novell will likely deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation this weekend, meaning that Thijs Dallinga will continue to lead the line, while Cristian Casseres and Vincent Sierro look set to anchor the midfield.

Lens possible starting lineup:

Samba; Gradit, Danso, Medina; Frankowski, Abdul Samed, Mendy, Machado; Sotoca, Fulgini; Wahi

Toulouse possible starting lineup:

Restes; Desler, Costa, Nicolaisen, Suazo; Cassseres, Sierro; Aboukhlal, Schmidt, Donnum; Dallinga

We say: Lens 2-1 Toulouse

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