Matchday 5 of Ligue 1 brings two sides still searching for their first win when Toulouse host Le Havre on 19 September 2026. Toulouse sit 17th on two points, Le Havre one place above them in 16th on the same tally and a clutch of mid table sides are already pulling away. Three points won't solve either club's problems but a loss here could be the moment proper panic sets in.
Jens Berthel Askou and Didier Digard have never faced each other. Askou took charge at Toulouse on 1 July 2026, replacing Carles Martinez Novell, while Digard has been at Le Havre since 1 July 2024 after succeeding Luka Elsner, so there is nothing between them in previous results to lean on or worry about.
Both sides share an identical run of draw, loss, draw, loss across their last four matches. Toulouse drew 2-2 with Lorient on 12 September, lost 0-1 to Lille on 3 September and drew 2-2 with Brest on 29 August, while Le Havre drew 0-0 with Angers, lost 1-2 at Brest, drew 1-1 with Lyon and lost 0-1 at Monaco. Points gathered and then dropped, across both sets of results without exception.
Toulouse arrive with a battered squad. Aron Donnum and Rasmus Nicolaisen are both out long term, Abu Francis is absent with a hamstring problem and goalkeeper Guillaume Restes is a doubt with a thigh strain. Le Havre are barely healthier, missing Lionel Mpasi-Nzau, Stephan Zagadou and Felix Mambimbi through injury and with that many defensive absentees, maintaining their shape for 90 minutes is close to impossible.
Toulouse prefer a 4-2-3-1 built around controlled build up and Cristian Casseres has been their most influential player, scoring and creating while earning a contract extension to 2028. His ability to drive through the lines will be the main test for Le Havre's already depleted back line. Le Havre defend in a low block and rely on Josh Maja as their primary outlet, with Ayumu Seko setting the tempo and breaking lines in front of the defence. Losing Zagadou and Mambimbi makes holding that shape for a full 90 minutes considerably harder, though. If Toulouse build through the press cleanly and get Casseres into the final third, they should create more openings from central positions, though the risk is overcommitting and handing Maja room to run in behind.
Le Havre won the last meeting 2-1 in February 2026 and with both defences short handed and neither side able to afford a draw, this game is more likely to be stretched than that one was. Toulouse should target set pieces given Le Havre are missing three of their usual defensive starters, while Maja's movement gives Le Havre a counter attacking option even when they spend long periods defending. Both teams have shown they can keep things level but struggle to hold leads and the pressure of an early relegation battle will push both coaches into chasing the game.
Toulouse's 4-2-3-1 should give them more control in midfield and Casseres is in the kind of form that changes games but their injury list creates gaps a counter attacking side can exploit. Le Havre's own defensive absences mean they are unlikely to keep things tight at the other end and Maja will find pockets of space if Toulouse chase the game. Defensively weakened and desperate for points, neither side is set up to grind out a clean sheet. A 3-3 flatters both defences but the injury lists make it the most honest call.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
