Recap: Le Havre stun Lille
Match Reports
After a frustrating elimination from the Coupe de France at the hands of second-tier Dunkerque in the week, things went from bad to worse for LOSC Lille on Saturday evening as they were stunned by Le Havre, 2-1, despite new signing Chuba Akpom getting a debut goal.
Le Havre start the stronger...
Despite missing the likes of captain Abdoulaye Touré and key defender Arouna Sanganté, Le Havre were well up for the occasion, and eager to take advantage of what seemed to be tired legs for the hosts, who had played in the Coupe de France on Wednesday. Indeed, the first good chance of the match would fall for Didier Digard's side, as a wonderful ball over the top found Issa Soumaré, the winger forcing a diving save out of Lucas Chevalier 15 minutes into the match.
Lille would respond through Jonathan David moments later, though, the Canadian's cushioned header from close range forcing Mathieu Gorgelin into his first save. The match, a chippy affair, then continued for some twenty minutes, and it was Le Havre who broke the deadlock as Lille struggled to clear a corner, with Hassan scooping the ball past Chevalier from inside the area to give the Normans a lead they would take into the break.
First Ligue 1 goal for Ahmed Hassan Kouka 🇪🇬⚽️ pic.twitter.com/poK1Pm2Scl
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) February 8, 2025
...and keep the rhythm!
Halftime didn't seem to do Lille much good, though, as Chevalier was again called into action by Soumaré, making an unbelievable stop to keep out a diving header. It was only a postponement of the inevitable, though, as the winger scrambled home the ball at a corner as the hosts again struggled to defend a set piece. Lille tried in vain to get back into the match, with David having another header kept out by Gorgelin, but they would have no luck until added time, with their best chance an offside goal by Haakon Haraldsson.
In the seventh minute of added time, Akpom would net a consolation goal, pouncing on a poor backpass, but it would come to late to prevent Lille from getting back in to the match, the result leaving them fifth while Le Havre move off the table and to within a point of Saint-Étienne in the playoff spot.
The stat: 11
Le Havre picked up points against a Ligue 1 McDonald's side in the top ten for the first time in eleven matches this season, having lost each of their first ten.
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