Lyon grind out Nantes win to climb onto podium

Olympique Lyonnais extended their remarkable winning run by edging past FC Nantes 1-0 at La Beaujoire, climbing provisionally into third place in Ligue 1 ahead of Sunday’s Classique between Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille. A first-half goal from Pavel Šulc proved decisive as Paulo Fonseca’s side finished the match with ten men.

Nantes began with intent and almost stunned the in-form visitors inside the opening ten minutes, Mostafa Mohamed and Kader Bamba testing Dominik Greif before Moussa Kaba’s curling effort struck the post.

After riding out the early pressure, Lyon gradually asserted themselves. Their breakthrough arrived in the 25th minute: a short corner routine ended with Afonso Moreira’s effort deflecting kindly into the path of Šulc, who reacted quickest to guide the ball beyond former Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.

The goal shifted momentum. Lyon grew increasingly fluid in possession and could have doubled their advantage before the break through Endrick and Moreira, but Lopes kept Nantes in contention.

The hosts came out strongly after the interval and were inches from equalising when Youssef El-Arabi’s header cannoned off the post, Nantes’ second effort to strike the woodwork on the night. Greif was then forced into a superb reflex save moments later to deny El-Arabi again.

Lyon’s task became significantly harder just after the hour mark when Endrick was shown a red card following a VAR review for a late challenge, leaving the visitors to defend their narrow lead for more than half an hour.

Late siege, Lyon survive

What followed was an intense Nantes onslaught. Guirassy, Centonze and Abline all went close, with the Canaris striking the post for a third time deep into stoppage time. Yet Lyon’s back line, marshalled by Clinton Mata and Duje Ćaleta-Car, held firm, while Greif remained assured under pressure.

After ten minutes of added time, Lyon finally secured their 12th consecutive victory, a result built on composure and collective discipline rather than attacking flair.

Reactions

Paulo Fonseca praised his side’s mentality after the final whistle: “This was a match where we had to suffer. Nantes pushed us very hard, especially after the red card, but the team showed maturity and solidarity. These are important victories if you want to be at the top.”

Goalscorer Pavel Šulc highlighted the importance of the timing: “We knew what was at stake tonight. Winning here before the Classique and reaching the podium gives us confidence, but we must keep our focus.”

For Nantes, frustration dominated. Head coach Pierre Aristouy lamented his side’s lack of efficiency: “We hit the post three times and created chances, but in this league you pay if you don’t score.”

What it means

Lyon move provisionally into third place, extending their sensational run and applying pressure ahead of PSG-Marseille on Sunday. Nantes remain in the relegation play-off position, just one point clear of the bottom two, despite a performance that deserved more than defeat.

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