With their matchup at Anfield on Thursday night, Toulouse stands in the way of Liverpool finishing the first half of the Europa League group stage with a perfect record.
With four points from their first two games, the Coupe de France champions presently occupy a good position in Group E and will be well-positioned for the teams’ upcoming doubleheader.
Despite only finishing 13th in Ligue 1 the previous season, they are making the most of their time in Europe thus far. They are only in the tournament because to their domestic cup victory.
They are projected to be in the mid-table range once again this season when they travel to Anfield in 10th place in the league, but Carles Martnez’s team will definitely be motivated to leave Liverpool with bloody noses.
We’ve highlighted some of the key players Jurgen Klopp will need to watch out for tomorrow night, along with some additional details on Toulouse, ahead of that match.
Toulouse’s key players
Thijs Dallinga
With three goals and two assists over his last six games, including both of their Europa League contests, the Dutch center-forward is their team’s joint-top scorer thus far this season (Transfermarkt).
The 6 foot tall striker, who has an average of 2.5 shots per game in Europe, is also a threat in the air, winning 1.9 aerial duels per Ligue 1 game, which is third-highest at the club, according to WhoScored.
Niklas Schmidt
The German midfielder, who moved to the team in August from Werder Bremen, has adapted well. He frequently switches between the central and attacking midfield positions, has scored once this season, and provides a strong connection between the final thirds of the pitch.
He has the second-highest match average in Ligue 1 for both critical passes (one) and tackles made (1.9), and according to WhoScored, he has won more tackles than anybody else in their European campaign (seven), demonstrating his prowess at winning the ball and using it well.
Rasmus Nicolaisen
Standing at 6 feet 3 inches tall, the Danish centre defender commands attention at the core of Toulouse’s defence. With a stellar 7.49 rating this season, WhoScored presently rates him as Toulouse’s greatest performer.
Given his height, it should come as no surprise that he is a Goliath in the air. In Ligue 1, he wins 2.6 headers per game, and he has already won 10 aerial duels in Europe. He’s great at avoiding danger, too, clearing 12 balls in their first two group games. The 26-year-old center-half lives up to his reputation as a tough guy.
2023–24 Toulouse form guide
Toulouse enters its encounter against Liverpool unbeaten in four games across all competitions after earning respectable draws over Brest and Reims, two teams that are currently ranked in the top six of Ligue 1.
Following their opening-day victory over Nantes, the team they defeated in last season’s Coupe de France final, Martnez’s team turned things around after a sluggish start to the season that saw them go six games without a victory.
However, with their last five away games ending in three draws and two losses, their victory at the Stade de la Beaujoire on August 13 remains their most recent road win.
They have had a mediocre season thus far, currently occupying the 10th spot in the 18-team standings, scoring 11 goals while giving up 10 in the league, drawing five of their nine matches in the top level, winning two, and losing two.
Toulouse in Europe
Toulouse’s history on the continent is relatively brief; they are participating in European competition for just the fifth time this season and for the first time in 14 years.
They were ousted in the second round of the UEFA Cup in successive seasons 1986–87 and 1987–88, and they were forced to wait 20 years before they could return to Europe.
When they did, Liverpool served as their opponent in the 2007–2008 Champions League play-off round. The Reds took a lead from Andriy Voronin’s goal in France back to Anfield, where Rafa Benitez’s team rolled to a 4-0 victory to advance to the group stage.
Despite winning against Spartak Moscow but losing their other three games, Toulouse finished last in their five-team group and duly qualified for the UEFA Cup.
When the Europa League debuted two years later, they came back and defeated Trabzonspor in a play-off to go to the group stage. Despite defeating Partizan Belgrade at home and away, they only managed to earn one point in their other four games, which left them in third place overall.