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Lens realistically must be perfect from now until the end of the season if they are to win the Ligue 1 title, starting with the visit of Toulouse to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Friday night.
The hosts are four points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain, and have played a game more than their title rivals.
Meanwhile, Toulouse are in 10th place, and are in no serious danger of going down nor are likely to finish in the European spots.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our Today's betting tips page for more of our Ligue 1 predictions!
Contents
Lens vs. Toulouse key stats
- Lens have won three successive home games in all competitions.
- Toulouse have lost their last two matches.
- Lens have won seven of the previous nine H2Hs (D1, L1).
Lens vs. Toulouse preview: Hosts to close gap at top?
| Lens | vs | Toulouse |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd | Position | 10th |
| 59 | Points | 37 |
| 54 | Goals For | 39 |
| 27 | Goals Against | 39 |
| 10 | Clean Sheets | 9 |
| 1st | Home Rank | 3rd |
| 13th | Away Rank | 8th |
Lens' proposed title clash against PSG was postponed due to the latter's participation in the Champions League.
They arranged a friendly against Rouen to combat this, and won 2-1 in their last outing.
Lens have won 14 of 16 home games in all competitions this season (L2).
Now, focus turns back to Ligue 1, where the unlikely title challengers probably need to be perfect from here to have a real chance of upsetting the odds.
Lens are four points behind PSG having played a game more, and so they must beat Toulouse to close the gap.
As for the visitors, they are stuck in mid-table obscurity in 10th place.
With no real danger of being relegated nor a realistic chance at finishing in the European spots, this is basically a free hit for Toulouse.
Toulouse have lost four of their last five away league matches (W1).
However, confidence is low after being thrashed 4-0 by Lille at home last time out.
They were also beaten 3-0 by Lens in the reverse fixture, so may be fearing the worst.
Lens vs. Toulouse form guide & betting tips
| Lens | vs | Toulouse |
|---|---|---|
| D-W-L-W-L | League Form | L-W-W-L-L |
| 7 | Points | 6 |
| 8th | Form Table | 12th |
| 10 | Goals For | 6 |
| 7 | Goals Against | 11 |
| W-L-W-L-W | Form (all comps) | L-W-W-L-L |
Whispers predicts: Lens 3-1 Toulouse
Lens are 4/7 favourites to win, and while we agree, these odds are too short for us to back.
Instead we like the slightly longer BTTS - Yes at 4/5 odds, given the hosts have failed to keep a clean sheet in four games.
Over 3.5 goals at 19/10 is our next pick, which has come through in three of Toulouse's last four matches.
In terms of potential goalscorers, Florian Thauvin has netted four goals in his previous four H2H appearances, and so Thauvin to score anytime at 7/4 is our final punt.
Overall, we are predicting a 3-1 Lens win, which is available at 12/1.
> BTTS - Yes at 4/5 | Likelihood: Probable
> Thauvin to score anytime at 7/4 | Likelihood: Possible
> Over 3.5 goals at 19/10 | Likelihood: Possible