By winning Thursday evening on the lawn of the Austrians of Lask Linz (2-1), the Toulouse residents secured their ticket for the play-off for the round of 16 of the Europa League where they will be opposed, next February, to a team having finished third in its group in the Champions League.
In distress in Ligue 1, where they remain in eight matches without success (4 draws and 4 defeats), the Toulouse residents are much more comfortable on the European scene and confirm this paradox by finishing in second place in their group behind the English from Liverpool. This is the first time in their history that the Toulouse team has progressed through the group stage of a continental competition and the rest of their adventure will therefore be written on February 15 and 22, 2024 against a team transferred from C1.
Among their potential future opponents in this play-off to reach the round of 16 of the C3 include the Italians of AC Milan, the Portuguese of Benfica, the Dutch of Feyenoord and the Turks of Galatasaray. The TFC will be set on Monday 18 following the draw carried out in Nyon (Switzerland).
Carles Martinez Novell’s men gave themselves the right to dream of this long-awaited prestigious poster at the end of a meeting which they generally dominated but once again lacking control in the heated moments. More technically comfortable than an Austrian team that they had beaten with difficulty in the first leg (1-0), the Toulouse team obtained the best chances of the first half with two dangerous strikes from César Gelabert (35th, 39).
The Spaniard stood out again at the start of the second half with an assist concluded by the ninth goal of the season from Thijs Dallinga (1-0, 54th). The Toulouse then had the cards in hand to calmly manage this advantage but they suddenly pulled back and displayed all their excitement of the moment to be joined seven minutes later on a goal from Ljubicic (1-1, 61st). The twenty minutes that followed were undoubtedly suffocating for the Toulouse supporters.
While the Belgians from Union Saint-Gilloise at the same time won against Liverpool (2-1), a defeat for Toulouse would have sent them to C4 but the “Violets” put an end to their fears on a goal from Chilean international Gabriel Suazo less than ten minutes from time (2-1, 83rd). Their European mission accomplished, the Toulouse residents now have the main objective of moving up the rankings in Ligue 1, who are only a small point ahead of Lorient, a virtual barrier. With this in mind, the next two meetings before the break, both at home, against Rennes, on Sunday, then Monaco, the following Wednesday, are already of considerable importance.
At the end of a completely crazy match, but where he showed too many misses, Rennes was beaten by Villarreal (3-2) on Thursday, for the last group day in the Europa League and will compete in the play-offs against a drafted player from the League champions.
The packed Roazhon Park once again experienced a memorable European evening which almost ended in jubilation, but experienced a cruel epilogue: a free kick on the bar from Enzo Le Fée and a goal refused in the process to Lorenz Assignon for offside, in added time.
But it would have been almost a hold-up for Rennes, who had nevertheless approached this match from a position of strength against the Spaniards who absolutely had to win to snatch their direct ticket to the round of 16.
The current lack of confidence of the Rouge et Noir quickly showed itself in a ball circulation that was too often laborious and a palpable defensive feverishness. Passes at the wrong tempo or poorly adjusted, hesitant defensive interventions and missed clearances, the Bretons only too rarely seemed in control of their football and their nerves, to the delight of their opponents.
If Rennes is no longer a novice on the continental scene, Villarreal is much more experienced in European games, having even won this competition in 2021. The refereeing of the Turk Karaoglan, very quick to use his whistle and take out the boxes yellows — 6 for the first period –, also played into the hands of the Villarreal players falling with each contact on the outskirts of the opponent’s area.
