Lens vs Toulouse Prediction: Les Sang et Or to pile pressure on Ligue 1 leaders PSG

Coupe de France semi-finalists RC Lens and Toulouse face off in the first of two meetings across five days this Friday (19:45 BST, Ligue 1 Pass), starting in Ligue 1. Sat in 10th without any relegation concerns or European ambitions, this game is of little consequence to the visitors, but hosts Lens can move to within a point of league leaders Paris Saint-Germain with a victory at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

Read on for my Lens vs Toulouse predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds.

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New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Team News

Regis Gurtner, Samson Baidoo, (both muscle), Kyllian Antonio (foot), Jonathan Gradit (thigh) and Ruben Aguilar (calf) could all miss out for Lens due to injury.

Football Odds

As for Toulouse, American defender Mark McKenzie is suspended after being sent off in last Sunday's 4-0 home hammering by Lille OSC, while Rafik Messali, Alex Dominguez (both ankle), Abu Francis (broken leg) and Frank Magri (knee) are all in the treatment room.

Lens vs Toulouse Odds

Lens, who won January's reverse fixture 3-0, are 8/15 favourites on Friday, implying a 65.2% probability of success, while Toulouse are 9/2, or an 18.2% chance, to triumph at this stadium for the second season running; they won 1-0 at the Bollaert-Delelis in January last year, helped by a 61st-minute red card shown to David Da Costa, who is now plying his trade in Major League Soccer with American side Portland Timbers.

The draw is offered at 10/3, and former Newcastle United star Allan Saint-Maximin is the focus of Betfred's Price Boost; his price to score anytime has been boosted to 15/8 (was 13/8).

Player to Receive a Card - Nidal Celik (RCL) @ 5/1

Lens' right-sided centre-back, Nidal Celik, only made his Ligue 1 debut on February 14, but he's been ever-present in Les Sang et Or's defence since making his French top-flight bow. He's started all seven games, as well as the Coupe de France quarter-final success over Olympique Lyonnais on March 5.

The 19-year-old was booked in that cup triumph at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, and his first Ligue 1 yellow followed two games and nine days later in a 2-0 loss at FC Lorient, where he committed three fouls - six days after making four in a 3-0 home victory over FC Metz, against whom he was hooked at half-time.

Celik has committed 11 fouls across his last five appearances, including nine across his last four in the league, a competition in which he is averaging 1.7 fouls per 90.

Today's Football Fixtures

Toulouse forward Yann Gboho, meanwhile, is the most-fouled player in Ligue 1 this season, having been upended 66 times at an average of 2.5 per 90 minutes.

The 25-year-old was taken down five times against Lille last Sunday, while he drew four fouls in his side's 3-0 home defeat to Lens on January 2.

Gboho is set to line up once again on the left-hand side of Toulouse's attack, making him a prime target for Celik, who could be caught out against the Frenchman on Friday.

Match Result & Both Teams to Score - Lens & Yes @ 2/1

Lens have collected 36 points from 14 home games in this season’s Ligue 1 - more than any other side, albeit PSG (34) have played a match fewer on home soil.

Only Les Parisiens (eight) have conceded fewer home goals than Les Sang et Or (nine), but Pierre Sage’s side have only kept one clean sheet in their last four at the Bolaert-Delelis; in fact, they’ve been breached more times in their last four home games (five) than they had across their first 10 combined (four).

Still, Lens remain tough to take points from at home, winning 11 of their last 12 there, and they are expected to beat Toulouse and keep up their title tilt.

The visitors, who boast the eighth-best away record in Ligue 1 this season, picking up 17 points from 14 trips, can make things difficult for their hosts, though.

Toulouse have scored in their last three away games across all competitions, drawing 2-2 at Olympique Marseille in the Coupe de France quarter-finals, winning 4-3 on penalties, before beating FC Metz 4-3 and losing 3-1 to PSG in Ligue 1.

Les Violets failed to lay a glove on Lens in January’s reverse fixture, losing 3-0 at Stadium de Toulouse, but they were handicapped by a 23rd-minute red card shown to Emersonn, with Lens scoring their first goal in the 57th minute before adding to their lead in the 85th and the fifth minute of stoppage time.