Ligue 2 BKT: Le Mans stun ASSE, Red Star leave it late

Ligue 2 BKT has provided plenty of drama already this season, with big promotion favourites slipping up and the unexpected rise of the likes of Pau and Red Star FC who are taking full advantage so far in this 2025 -2026 campaign. Montpellier may have staved off their negative early season form, as Saint-Étienne fell to promoted side Le Mans.

Montpellier off the mark away from home

Following a frustrating start to the season, Montpellier earned a vital away win at Dunkerque on Saturday afternoon with an assured performance. The visitors had to wait until the 82nd minute for the breakthrough. Alexandre Mendy, denied earlier by the crossbar, struck decisively from Victor Orapko’s clever assist after a sharp run from Nicolas Pays. At the other end, Simon Ngapandoutenbu stood firm to deny Bardeli and Daho as Montpellier held on for their second win of the season. Manager Zoumana Camara has had to be patient after a start which saw the former Ligue 1 McDonald's side lingering near the bottom of the table, but it is a win which sees the Hérault side move up to seventh place.

The Red Star winning machine marches on

It certainly wasn't pretty, but Grégory Poirier's Red Star side edged a 1-0 win over Laval MFC late in injury time to continue a run of single goal victories and edge Les Audoniens up the Ligue 2 BKT table to go level with Saint-Étienne. L'Étoile Rouge started bright at the Stade Francis Le Basser, but a drop off in intensity would mean that the side from the suburbs of the French capital would have to leave it late.

Up stepped Damien Durand, who continued his fine goal-scoring form this season with a late finish at the near post after receiving a long-ball on the right side and showing a deadly turn of pace to bear down on goal. The Frenchman has been a steady talisman for Red Star since signing in 2020, but the winger turned killer finisher now sits second in the Ligue 2 BKT goalscoring charts as his side have now gone level on points with Saint-Étienne in third place.

Le Mans stun Saint-Étienne in a thriller

Saturday night brought one of the weekend’s biggest surprises as Le Mans defeated promotion favourites Saint-Étienne 3–2 at a rain-soaked Geoffroy-Guichard. It happens to be a throwback to a Ligue 1 McDonald's fixture of old.

Antoine Rabillard gave the visitors an early lead, only for Florian Tardieu to equalise with a trademark free-kick. After the break, Dame Guèye restored Le Mans’ advantage from the spot before William Harhouz added a third. Tardieu converted another penalty late on, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a second league defeat for Horneland's men.

With Troyes pulling three points clear at the top, Saint-Étienne slipped to third, while Le Mans moved up to eighth, marking a superb result for the newly promoted side.

Elsewhere in Ligue 2 BKT

A 10-man Troyes side completed a 1-0 win over struggling Bastia at home to extend their two point lead at the top of the table, whilst Stade de Reims could only earn a draw against a difficult Rodez side to stay rooted in 5th place. Boulogne and Guingamp also played out an entertaining 2-2 draw, whilst Grenoble managed to hold Pau.