Montpellier vs Toulouse preview - Lasne: Montpellier will find form

Posted Saturday, November 22, 2014 by PA

Montpellier midfielder Paul Lasne believes the team can start turning their season around at home to Toulouse on Sunday evening.

Rolland Courbis' side have only won one of their last six games in all competitions and dropped four Ligue 1 places to 13th following their 2-0 defeat at Bastia before the international break.

"We had a good start to the championship but sometimes games are played on small details," Lasne told the official club website.

"A lot of clubs experience periods like this but we do not question everything or panic.

"I am convinced the wheel will turn because the group works well and lives well together. The results will come back I'm sure."

Courbis could adopt a bold attacking approach at the Altrad Stadium by starting with a three-man forward line of Anthony Mounier, Djamel Bakar and Kevin Berigaud as Montpellier have failed to score in three of their last four matches.

Lasne stands by to make his 100th Ligue 1 appearance and the 25-year-old admits he is delighted with that landmark after failing to make the breakthrough at his first club Bordeaux.

"It is a pleasure to arrive at the figure and somewhat symbolic since the beginning of my journey was a bit complicated and fraught with pitfalls," Lasne said.

"I ask only to continue on this path and achieve at the earliest possibly 200 games or more because we have the chance to do a fabulous job."

Toulouse, in 11th place, are above Montpellier on goal difference after their 3-0 home victory over Metz two weeks ago, but they have lost eight of their last 10 away matches in Ligue 1.

And Toulouse head coach Alain Casanova expects another difficult game at a venue where they have not won since March 2004.

"We have always had great difficulty in Montpellier," Casanova told the official Toulouse website.

"It is a difficult game no matter the stats or the quality of the opposing team, we just need to be able to play a full and complete game.

"At Rennes and St Etienne we showed some strength and qualities in recovering the ball and we are capable of posing problems for the opponent."

Casanova is set to keep faith with goalkeeper Ali Ahamada after recalling him for the Metz win while Dragos Grigore and Francois Moubandje will compete for a centre-back spot.