Toulouse Football Club handed Ilyas Azizi his first Ligue 1 start on Thursday evening in their home match against Lille OSC. The 18-year-old midfielder was selected by coach Jens Berthel Askou in a starting eleven aiming to break free from a tough start to the season, with the club currently sitting 16th in the table with just one point from two games.
The match kicked off at 8:45 PM at the Stadium as part of Ligue 1's third matchday. According to the report from L'Equipe Football, Askou placed his trust in Rafik Messali and Santiago Hidalgo, both named in the starting lineup. The absence of Yann Gboho, who was not included in the squad, created an opening in midfield.
Why was Azizi given his first start?
Askou's decision to start Ilyas Azizi comes amid a search for solutions after a challenging start to the league campaign. Toulouse, yet to win a match this season, suffered a 2-0 defeat to Olympique Lyonnais on the opening day before securing a 2-2 draw with Stade Brestois 29. Having scored only two goals and conceded four, the team has a -2 goal difference and finds itself five points behind leaders AS Monaco.
Starting Azizi, a young academy product, represents a bet on youth. "Jens Berthel Askou fait cependant confiance à Rafik Messali et Santiago Hidalgo," the sports outlet reported. This trust extended to the young Azizi, who thus earned his first start in the top flight.
What team did Lille field?
Facing Toulouse, LOSC arrived with European ambitions in mind, preparing for their upcoming Champions League campaign. Lille coach Davide Ancelotti "a pourtant fait le choix de la continuité, reconduisant une équipe proche de celle alignée contre Paris," according to L'Equipe. Lille had just secured a dramatic 2-2 draw against Paris Saint-Germain.
A few adjustments were made, however. Calvin Verdonk started at left-back, replacing Romain Perraud. On the wing, Osame Sahraoui took the place of Félix Correia, who departed for Sevilla FC. Key attackers like Dilane Bakwa and recent signing Ayase Ueda, acquired for a fee reported to be around 15 million euros, began the match on the bench, alongside Maurits Kjaegaard.
What is Toulouse's sporting context?
The league position adds extra pressure to this home fixture. Before this third matchday, Toulouse was in 16th place, with a record of one loss and one draw. The coaching staff must also manage absences within the squad, as confirmed by our injuries page, which currently lists A. Francis and N. Sigur.
Toulouse's next fixture is an away trip to Lorient, currently 14th, on September 12th. This match presents a significant opportunity to earn points ahead of a run of games you can check on our fixtures page.
What were the official lineups?
The official team sheet confirmed the tactical choices of both managers. For Toulouse, the trust placed in Azizi was the standout point, alongside the starts for Messali and Hidalgo. Lille fielded an experienced side, with Verdonk and Sahraoui integrated from the beginning.
The challenge for Toulouse was to find a first Ligue 1 victory of the season and begin climbing the standings, which you can follow live on our standings page. Kick-off was at 8:45 PM, pitting two teams with contrasting early-season dynamics against each other in the 2026-2027 campaign. Toulouse's next match is away to Lorient on September 12, 2026.
