Toulouse 0-2 Norwich City: match report and key moments

The new Swiss signing, who completed his move on Monday, headed down Gabby Sara’s corner 15 minutes after the duo’s arrival for the final segment of a three-part outing against the French cup winners.

Sara then marked his summer re-appearance, following appendix surgery, to whip in a free kick in the 104th minute to seal the victory.

David Wagner rotated his squad for the 120-minute contest, with only Liam Gibbs playing every minute of the club’s one friendly of their eight-day trip to Austria.

City will return to England on Friday for a final pre-season game against Olympiacos at Carrow Road.

Milot Rashica and Max Aarons settled for a watching brief after their extended summer breaks. The pair, who have been subject to transfer speculation for weeks, only returned to the camp prior to the Austrian trip.

Onel Hernandez was another absentee, with the Cuban left out as a precaution after feeling some soreness in his legs.

Tony Springett dragged a low strike wide from the edge of the area in Norwich's first attack of note, after probing work from Jack Stacey.

Norwich’s high press was a marked feature of the opening phase of this friendly. Ben Gibson and Jack Stacey’s starting positions were clearly part of a plan to squeeze the French side.

Ibrahim Cissoko unleashed a right footed strike that flew over Angus Gunn’s bar in the first sign of attacking intent from the French cup winners.

Gibbs left a calling card on Cristian Casseres in the 18th minute but Vincent Sierro rifled a 20 yard free kick over.

City’s composure at the back beat the Toulouse high press to release Josh Sargent and Tony Springett down the right but a flowing move petered out when Gibbs tried to thread an intricate ball into Ashley Barnes.

Jon Rowe’s slaloming run in the 24th minute took him past two but a curling effort on his right was always veering wide of Guillame Restes’ far post.

Barnes picked up what is fast becoming his customary pre-season booking for a verbal barb too many towards the referee just before the half-hour mark.

The Toulouse coaches led appeals for a penalty in the 33rd minute when a rare French counter in behind ended with the ball rearing up against Shane Duffy’s upper body, but the officials waved play on.

Duffy’s raking crossfield pass released the advanced Przemyslaw Placheta at the other end, who exchanged passes with Barnes before Restes’ unconvincing tip over the bar from a looping deflected shot.

Placheta screened at his near post to deal with Casseres’ whipped free kick after Rowe upended the Toulouse midfielder.

Andrew Omobamidele and Sam McCallum arrived for the second 40 minute segment, with Placheta remaining at left back.

Gunn had to be alert to halt Denis Genreau who had run off the back of the Norwich midfield. Logan Costa then connected with a thumping strike on his left that flew wide from 20 yards.

Adam Idah’s sloppy pass invited Toulouse to break in the 57th minute but a poor final touch from Sierro allowed Kellen Fisher to intercept inside his own box.

Cissoko’s powerful surge took him inside Fisher down the left in the 62nd minute, but Placheta was perfectly positioned to clear at the back post.

Toulouse were dominating territory and possession but City did carve out their best chance of the friendly to that point, in the 65th minute, when Gibbs’ quickly taken free kick released Springett, who picked out Sargent but his close range strike was blocked.

Sargent then turned provider four minutes later when he helped on a ball won aerially by McCallum and Gibbs needed no invitation to unleash a left foot shot that veered wide of Kjetil Haug’s near post.

Edhy Zuliani skied over after a burst of short passing on the edge of the Norwich box worked an opening.

Fassnacht and Sara both made their introductions for the final 40 minute segment as the forecasted heavy rain that prompted an earlier kick-off time swept in across Kufstein.

Young centre back Jaden Warner replaced Jacob Sorensen 10 minutes into the final part.

Sara attempted a raking crossfield ball for Fassnacht, holding the right touchline, but Toulouse had numbers back.

But the duo combined for the breakthrough in the 95th minute when the Brazilian’s deep corner was headed home by Fassnacht, holding off his marker eight yards out.

City looked threatening on the counter with Dimi Giannoulis offering a natural balance on the left and Sara in the quarterback role.

The Greek rolled in Gibbs in the 100th minute, but the midfielder was unable to get the ball out from under his feet to test the keeper.

Sara then added a second four minutes later when he whipped in a free kick from the right around Christos Tzolis that evaded the Toulouse backline and nestled in the far corner.

Giannoulis served up another shooting chance for Fassnacht in the 110th minute, but the Swiss debutant’s left-footed effort dropped wide.

Omobamidele departed in the final seconds, gingerly walking back to the dressing room just before the final whistle after some on pitch assessment to his left ankle area.

Our correspondents are out in Austria for the latest leg of Norwich City's pre-season tour in association with Cavell Healthcare.

Match stats

Norwich City (first 40 minutes): Gunn, Stacey, Duffy, Gibson, Placheta, Gibbs, McLean (C), Springett, Barnes, Rowe, Sargent. 

Booking: Barnes (dissent, 27)

Norwich City (second 40 minutes): Gunn, Fisher, Duffy (C), Omobamidele, McCallum, Sorensen, Gibbs, Placheta, Springett, Sargent, Idah.

Norwich City (final 40 minutes): Krul, Fisher, Sorensen (Warner, 91), Omobamidele (C), Giannoulis, Sara, Gibbs, Fassnacht, Nunez, Tzolis, Idah.

Goals: Fassnacht (95), Sara (104)

Toulouse (first 40 minutes): Restes, Keben, Costa, Diarra, Suazo, Sierro (C), Casseres, Genreau, Aboukhlal, Onaiwu, Cissoko.

Toulouse (second 40 minutes): Haug, Dessler, Rouault, Nicolaisen, Mawissa, Lahmdi, Serber, Zuliani, Bangre, Traore, Aradj.

Key moments

4: 0-0 Early Tony Springett snap shot drops wide of the far post from just inside the area. Jack Stacey in an advanced position early on.

17: 0-0 Ibrahim Cissoko rifles over from 18 yards.

19: 0-0 Liam Gibbs leaves a calling card on Cristian Casseres. Vincent Sierro’s free kick from 20 yards is up and over Angus Gunn's bar.

22: 0-0 City’s composure at the back beats the Toulouse high press to release Josh Sargent and Tony Springett, but a flowing move petered out when Gibbs tried to thread an intricate ball into Ashley Barnes.

24: 0-0 Jon Rowe’s slaloming run takes him past two but a curling effort on his right was always veering wide.

25: 0-0 Lovely raking pass from Shane Duffy dropped at feet of Przemyslaw Placheta. The Pole exchanges passes with Barnes but his looping shot is tipped over by Guillame Restes.

27: 0-0 Barnes booked for back chat to the referee.

49: 0-0 Denis Genreau is in behind but Gunn races from his line to get a hand to the ball first. Logan Costa’s thumping hit on his left from 20 yards flies wide.

57: 0-0 Adam Idah’s loose touch from a City corner sets Toulouse free on the break but Kellen Fisher bails him out with an interception in his own box.

62: 0-0 Cissoko surges past Fisher down the left, but Placheta is around on the cover to clear the cross.

65: 0-0 Gibbs takes a quick free kick for Springett, who squares up his man on the byline and produces a low cross Sargent strikes first time on his right from close range but Kjetil Haug is down to smother.

69: 0-0 Sam McCallum wins an aerial challenge. Ball drops for Sargent, who feeds Gibbs up in support. The midfielder’s left footed hit flies wide from 18 yards.

95: 0-1 Gabby Sara’s deep corner drops eight yards out for Christian Fassnacht to hold off his marker and head home.

100: 0-1 Dimi Giannoulis pulls wide to receive Sara ball and roll in Gibbs, who is unable to get a shot away.

104: 0-2 Sara whips in a free kick wide on the right, using Christos Tzolis as a screen, that nestles in the bottom corner of the Toulouse net.

110: 0-2 Giannoulis again offers width. Collects from Marcelino Nunez and crosses for Fassnacht, who drills wide.