Lille held by Le Havre as HAC edge closer to survival

Lille were left frustrated in their push for direct UEFA Champions League qualification as Le Havre battled to a 1-1 draw at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Sunday.

Bruno Genesio’s side dominated the opening stages and were rewarded in the 29th minute when Matias Fernandez-Pardo slipped a clever pass through to Hákon Haraldsson, who finished from close range to give LOSC the lead.

Le Havre, however, responded against the run of play just four minutes later. Issa Soumaré, captaining Didier Digard’s side in the absence of the suspended Arouna Sanganté, rose in the area to head home and silence the home crowd.

Lille continued to push after the break, with Haraldsson striking the woodwork for the second time and Fernandez-Pardo missing a presentable chance from close range. Calvin Verdonk and Olivier Giroud were introduced as LOSC chased a winner, while Ethan Mbappé also entered in the second half.

Diaw denies LOSC

But Le Havre goalkeeper Mory Diaw produced several important saves, including stops from Haraldsson, Félix Correia and Ngal’ayel Mukau, as the visitors defended deep to preserve a precious point.

The draw keeps Lille in the race for the Champions League places, but represents a missed opportunity on home soil to tighten their grip on third place. For Le Havre, the result extends their unbeaten run and moves them closer to confirming their Ligue 1 survival.

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