Visibly eager to pull clear of the bottom three, Le Havre were the first to threaten, crafting their opening chance in the ninth minute. Well-positioned in the penalty area, Arouna Sangante let loose a fierce strike that required a firm pair of gloves from Strasbourg keeper Mike Penders to keep the ball from flying into the top corner.
The hosts’ unrelenting pressure continued as the game passed the quarter-hour mark, with Simon Ebonog unleashing a short-range rocket effort that landed only narrowly away from its intended target.
However, Strasbourg’s luck finally ran out in the 26th minute, as Stephan Zagadou powerfully headed home Sofiane Boufa’s corner for a deserved lead.
And it took just three more minutes for things to get worse for Gary O'Neil’s side, with Ismael Doukoure hauling down Issa Soumare when he was bearing down on goal. That resulted in a straight red card for the Strasbourg captain.
However, Le Racing served up a stunning equaliser nine minutes before half-time, with Martial Godo expertly volleying home from just outside the area.
That twist had the Stade Oceane on a knife-edge, but the hosts retook the lead nine minutes after the restart as, despite being on his way to the turf, Soumare somehow still managed to expertly guide his strike into the far corner beyond the outstretched Penders.
Strasbourg clearly felt their numerical disadvantage throughout the rest of second half, with top scorer Joaquin Panichelli and co finding real openings to be scarce.
It was a similar story at the other end though, leading to a somewhat drab conclusion.
If Le Havre are going to spend a fourth consecutive campaign in Ligue 1, it could come down to their home form, with four of their five league wins in 2025/26 now coming here at the Stade Oceane.
Meanwhile, Strasbourg’s hopes of making only their second-ever back-to-back appearances in European competition suffered a setback, though O’Neil’s side are still only a point adrift of sixth-placed Toulouse.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Issa Soumare (Le Havre)
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