Lyon appeared to be taking their frustration of failing to reach the UEFA Champions League League Phase in midweek out on Le Havre in the early stages, as Lois Openda was denied by Lionel Mpasi before Corentin Tolisso blazed over when the rebound was crossed to him.
A minute later, Kail Boudache went on a strong run down the right, and his low cross deflected off a defender and squirmed under Mpasi before bouncing back off the post.
Having weathered the early storm, Le Havre began to work home goalkeeper Dominik Greif midway through the first half, and though Simon Ebonog’s strike was nothing more than catching practice, Greif had to be alert at his near post to deny Rassoul Ndiaye after the winger had wriggled past the Lyon defence and tried his luck from a tight angle.
The visitors continued to look the more threatening until Les Gones nearly snatched the lead on the stroke of half-time, when Ernest Nuamah took a ball over the top in his stride before putting it on a plate for Openda, who couldn’t make a connection at full stretch with the goal gaping.
Each of Lyon’s previous five home league games had seen over 2.5 goals scored, while seven of Le Havre’s previous eight had seen fewer than 2.5, and the early stages of the second half suggested it would be the away side’s pattern that would continue.
It wasn’t until the hour mark, when Mpasi saved an effort from Tolisso before Openda fired the rebound into the side netting, that either side went even remotely close.
Five minutes later, Tolisso thought he had made amends for his earlier miss by tucking home a loose ball when Le Havre failed to clear a free-kick, only for a VAR review to rule it out for offside.
Things got worse for the hosts with 16 minutes to play, as Le Havre took the lead with their first shot on goal of the half. Lyon gave Fode Doucoure too much time to pick out a cross, which was met with a bullet header by Mbwana Samatta.
The visitors continued to threaten and Enzo Koffi was not far away from a second, but Greif was equal to it.
That save proved crucial when, three minutes from time, a Lyon corner to the near post was flicked on by Zachary Athekame to Openda, whose cushioned volley squeezed past Mpasi and in.
However, Didier Digard’s side weren’t done there, and in added time thought they had won it when Sota Nakamura scored at the second time of asking, only for VAR to rule it out for handball in the build-up.
That proved the end of the noteworthy action, meaning Paulo Fonseca’s side remain unbeaten in this fixture this century, while Le Havre have equalled a club record of five consecutive away matches unbeaten in Ligue 1.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Zachary Athekame (Lyon)
