Santiago Hidalgo scored his first goal of the season as Toulouse rediscovered their scoring touch in a 3-1 Ligue 1 win over Strasbourg at Stadium Municipal on Friday night.
Toulouse went into the game having failed to find the net in their previous two weekends, but Hidalgo's stoppage-time opener, confirmed after a VAR check, broke the deadlock. Second-half goals from Mark McKenzie and Thomas Jorgensen then sealed a deserved victory, with Giovanni Reyna's reply only briefly giving Strasbourg hope.
The visitors' poor run continued. Strasbourg have now lost five of their last six league matches and sit 13th in the 18-team table, while Toulouse climb from 12th to 10th.
Hidalgo breaks the deadlock
The first half looked set to end goalless until Toulouse finally found a way through in stoppage time. A couple of minutes before the break, Hidalgo lashed a shot towards the bottom corner, but Strasbourg goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen was able to parry it away.
In stoppage time, the Argentine found the back of the net for the first time this season with a powerful effort off a scrappy bit of play, converting Sion Oppong's assist in the 45+1 minute. The goal was checked by VAR and confirmed at 45+4, sending Toulouse in ahead at the break.
It was a fitting reward for a side that had been frustrated in front of goal in recent weeks. As Get French Football News noted in its match report, Toulouse had gone two weekends without scoring before Friday night, and the relief around Stadium Municipal was clear when Hidalgo's strike stood.
McKenzie and Jorgensen finish the job
Toulouse doubled their lead in the 56th minute from a Cristian Caseres Jr. corner. United States international Mark McKenzie leapt high and uncontested to head home the set-piece and give the hosts what felt like a commanding lead.
Strasbourg refused to fold. Giovanni Reyna pulled a goal back in the 67th minute, and for a few minutes the visitors sensed a way back into a game that had looked beyond them.
Toulouse answered quickly. In the 76th minute, Thomas Jorgensen restored the two-goal cushion from Rasmus Nicolaisen's assist, and this time there was no way back for Strasbourg. The hosts saw out the closing stages comfortably to claim all three points.
The win was Toulouse's second victory in their last four matches, and it underlines how much of their season will hinge on whether Hidalgo and company can keep finding the net. When the goals flow, this is a side that can trouble anyone in the middle of the table.
What it means for both sides
For Toulouse, this was about more than three points. Ending a two-week goal drought with three goals in one night is the kind of result that can reset a season, and climbing to 10th puts them back in touch with the top half. If Hidalgo's first goal of the campaign sparks a run of form from the Argentine, the timing could hardly be better with the international break now offering a chance to build on the momentum.
For Strasbourg, the picture is far bleaker. Five defeats in six league games is relegation form, whatever the quality in the squad, and the break now comes at the right time for a side badly in need of a reset. The talent is there, Reyna's goal was a reminder of that, but the results are not, and the pressure will only grow if the slide continues into the next round of fixtures.
Strasbourg's problem is not a lack of chances or a lack of fight. They kept going at 2-0 down and gave themselves a lifeline. But conceding three goals on the road, and conceding the third so soon after pulling one back, is the story of their season so far: moments of promise undone by soft defending at the worst possible times. Sportsnet's European roundup underlined the scale of the slump, noting that Strasbourg have now lost five of their last six matches.
Ligue 1 continues to deliver surprises this season, with Paris FC beating Monaco 3-1 last weekend and Marseille impressing in Europe, and Toulouse's win is another reminder that the middle of the French table is wide open for any side that can put a run together.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Toulouse finally looked like the side their fans believed they had, and Strasbourg looked like a team running out of answers. The international break is a gift for the visitors, but gifts only help if you use them, and Strasbourg's next match already feels like a must-not-lose. For Toulouse, the question is whether this was a turning point or just a good night against a struggling side.
Can Toulouse push on from here and climb into the top half, or was this just a one-off against a Strasbourg side in freefall? Let us know what you think in the comments.
