Ligue 1 26/27 · Round 7 ·
Le Mans FC vs Toulouse FC preview: Le Mans host Toulouse with both sides level on points
Le Mans welcome Toulouse to the MMArena with the two sides level on six points after six matches. The clearest signal is Toulouse's away attack, which has produced two goals per away match, a large edge over the league's away-side average.
By 10xSharp · Published
This preview was published before kickoff. The match has finished: see the result and full stats. Read the match report.
Key absence for Le Mans
Le Mans are without midfielder Adil Bourabaa, who is listed as injured. He is their second top scorer with three goals and also has two assists, so his absence removes a leading creator. Adil Bourabaa, who is unavailable, has scored 3 goals, 30% of the side's goals in this competition. Toulouse have one injury, defender Rasmus Nicolaisen, who is not among their top scorers or assisters.
Top scorers carry the threat
Louis Mafouta leads Le Mans with four goals in six matches, a share of 40% of the team's goals in this competition. Casper Tengstedt has four goals in four matches for Toulouse, a 44% share, and is joint top scorer in the scoring chart. Toulouse's Cristian Casseres Jr has four assists, the most of any player on either side.
Form is evenly matched
Both teams have taken six points from their last six league matches, with identical records of one win, three draws and two losses. Le Mans are 14th in the form table and Toulouse 15th. Le Mans are unbeaten in their last four home matches, while Toulouse are unbeaten in their last three matches overall.
Level on points, different venue records
Le Mans sit 14th with six points and Toulouse 15th with six points. At home, Le Mans have one win, two draws and no losses, with a goal difference of plus one. Toulouse away have no wins, three draws and no losses, with a goal difference of zero.
Toulouse edge the historical meetings
Across the last 10 meetings from 2005 to 2010, Toulouse have won four, Le Mans three, with three draws. The goal difference is 12-10 in favour of Toulouse. In the 5 meetings at this ground, Toulouse have won two, Le Mans one, with two draws. The most recent meeting was in 2010, 16 years ago.
Toulouse hold a clear attacking edge
Toulouse average 2.0 goals per away match, which is better than the league average for an away side on the road by a large margin. Le Mans average 2.0 goals per home match, better than the league average for a home side at home by a marginal amount. Toulouse hold a clear attacking edge.
Toulouse have a marginal defensive edge
Le Mans concede 1.7 goals per home match, worse than the league average conceded by a home side at home by a clear margin. Toulouse concede 2.0 goals per away match, worse than the league average conceded by an away side on the road by a marginal amount. Toulouse hold a marginal defensive edge.
Toulouse work the keeper harder
Toulouse average 4.83 shots on goal per match, compared with 4.5 for Le Mans. Toulouse also see more of their shots blocked, 2.67 per match against 1.33 for Le Mans.
Both sides peak after the break
Le Mans score 40% of their goals between minutes 46-60, their most dangerous spell. Toulouse score 56% of their goals in the same window. Toulouse concede 27% of their goals in each of 76-90 and 31-45 and 61-75, against 11% and 0% and 22% of the goals they score in those windows respectively.
High-scoring environments for both
83% of Le Mans's matches this season have gone over 2.5 goals, and 100% of their home matches have gone over 2.5 goals, against 67% of their away matches. 67% of Toulouse's matches this season have gone over 2.5 goals, and 33% of their home matches have gone over 2.5 goals, against 100% of their away matches.
A tight match with goals likely
Both teams are evenly matched on points and recent form, but Toulouse's away attack gives them a clear edge going forward. Le Mans are solid at home but concede more than the league average. The market prices the total at 2.75 with an even lean, and the season profiles of both sides point to a high-scoring match.