Lorient vs Toulouse preview - Only victory will do for Lorient

Posted Friday, April 17, 2015 by PA

Sylvain Ripoll insists his Lorient side will not settle for anything other than victory against Toulouse this weekend.

Lorient, who finished eighth last term, have lost four of their last six league matches to find themselves hovering uncomfortably close to the Ligue 1 drop zone.

Les Merlus are currently 16th and only out of the bottom three on goal difference and Ripoll hopes to put some daylight between them and their relegation rivals, including 18th-placed Toulouse, by winning at the Stade du Moustoir on Saturday.

"We need a win, we must win in front of our crowd," he told newspaper La Depeche.

"(A draw?) No thank you! But I think Toulouse will not come to Moustoir with the ambition to draw."

Lorient were left to rue a missed opportunity when they drew at bottom side Lens last weekend but Ripoll is eager to remind his players that, although this weekend's match is crucial, it will not ultimately determine their fate come the end of the season.

"It is indeed an encounter that is of great importance. But it is useless to dwell on it all day long," he said.

"We are aware of the challenge of this game. We must not forget that there are still six games to negotiate until the end of the season to try to stay in Ligue 1.

"Saturday's game will earn three points for the winner and that will be the case for the other five meetings."

Victory for Toulouse, who have won two of their last three league matches, would see them escape the relegation zone for the first time in two months.

Boss Dominique Arribage insists his players must avoid defeat but wants them to approach the match like they would any other encounter.

"On Saturday, there will be no more fear than against Bordeaux, Metz and Montpellier. It's just another big game," he told his club's official website.

"We go to Lorient with certainty and a positive dynamic. I have confidence in my group, they are very receptive.

"There are things to improve, for example offensively, but we advance. We must take points in Lorient."

Ripoll will be without seven first-team players as Wesley Lautoa, Raphael Guerreiro, Mathias Autret, Valentin Lavigne, Mathieu Coutadeur, Fabien Robert and Sadio Diallo are all sidelined for Lorient.

There is better news for Arribage, however, with only the injured Etienne Didot and suspended duo Aleksandar Pesic and Dragos Grigore missing for Toulouse.