Ligue 1: Lyon Secures Rhône-Alpes Derby Win Against Saint-Étienne

OL climbs to fifth in Ligue 1 with 1-0 victory

Lyon swiftly responded to Saint-Étienne's early pressure...

Lyon secures 1-0 Rhône-Alpes derby win, moving fifth in Ligue 1, thanks to Lucas Perrin's late heroics and Alexandre Lacazette's decisive goal.

The highly anticipated Rhône-Alpes derby returned after a three-year hiatus, with Lyon hosting Saint-Étienne at the Groupama Stadium. Bragging rights were on the line, but the match had a unique dynamic due to the absence of Saint-Étienne fans, who were banned for security reasons.

However, the electric atmosphere was momentarily disrupted just two minutes into the game. The referee halted play for five minutes due to the use of firecrackers before kickoff, causing a brief delay.

Once play resumed, Saint-Étienne seized the initiative, displaying greater attacking intent. Within the opening 25 minutes, Stassin came agonizingly close to breaking the deadlock, only to see his headed effort sail narrowly wide.

Lyon swiftly responded to Saint-Étienne's early pressure, crafting two scoring opportunities in quick succession. Corentin Tolisso nearly opened the scoring with a powerful header from Houssem Aouar's precise cross, but Stefan Larsonneur's reflexes denied him. Alexandre Lacazette then rattled the post.

The hosts' relentless pressure paid off as Lacazette broke the deadlock. Tolisso's audacious overhead kick attempt allowed Lacazette to pounce, beating Larsonneur to the ball and kneeing it into the roof of the net.

Lyon nearly doubled their lead through Rayan Cherki's free kick, which was parried into the path of Ainsley Maitland-Niles. His cross along the face of goal tantalizingly evaded four Lyon players. Cherki continued to threaten, unleashing a bouncing effort from distance that narrowly missed the target.

At halftime, Lyon held a slender advantage.

Saint-Étienne emerged revitalized after the break, and Harold Maçon almost equalized with a potent strike. However, Duje Ćaleta-Car's timely block, with Lucas Perrin beaten, preserved Lyon's lead.

As the second half progressed, Lyon regained control, dominating possession without fashioning clear-cut chances.

Lyon thought they had doubled their advantage through Ernest Nuamah, who pounced on Stefan Larsonneur's mistake after being pressured by Giorgi Mikautadze. However, the goal was disallowed due to Mikautadze's accidental handball.

The hosts narrowly avoided conceding an own goal when Nicolas Tagliafico's attempted clearance, following Lucas Perrin's failed claim on a cross, sailed perilously close to the bar.

In stoppage time, Saint-Étienne's Moueffek almost leveled the score, but Perrin's crucial save preserved Lyon's slender lead.

Lyon held on, thanks to Perrin's late heroics, securing a vital 1-0 derby victory and moving up to fifth in the Ligue 1 standings.