Toulouse vs Grenoble Match Preview

Toulouse finished the regular season at third place which allowed them to enter directly in the play-off semi finals. It was quite bad luck because after a great season in general they had two wins two draws and a loss over the last five matches, which allowed Clermont to outrank them. The two draws came in the last two games and especially the most recent one against Dunkerque was a thriller as they were losing 3-1 while down to 10 men but scored twice to secure a point.

With 71 goals scored they had the best offensive side in the regular season, averaging almost two goals per game, and despite the shaky results they scored ten goals in the last five duels while managing to find the back of the net in each outing. They have two players on double digits as Healey has already scored 14 goals while Bayo 10 goals. Healey in fact comes after a hat trick against Dunkerque so will be pretty motivated now.

Grenoble, on the other hand, finished the regular season at 4th spot, but their finals games were quite poor too with two wins a draw, and two losses. They got very lucky in the direct duel against Auxerre as their rivals missed a penalty at the last minute which could have turned the tables. Even in the game against Rodez they barely won with a penalty goal scored about 15 mins from the end.

Anyway, they got into the playoffs and faced Paris FC where they prevailed 2-0. The thing is their rivals had more ball possession and total attempts but failed to convert their chances. Their strongest side has been their defense throughout the season but on the road, they conceded 21 of their 35 goals while scoring just 16. A negative goal difference for a team aiming for promotion is not exactly shouting confidence.

In conclusion, I think Toulouse can win this match. They are a better team than their rivals and at home I expect them to earn this promotion. Also having a few extra days to rest when Grenoble had to play a hard-fought duel against Paris FC surely will be to their advantage. Grenoble has done well to this stage but I guess they just lack the quality needed especially upfront to play in Ligue 1 next season.