ANNE CY, France (Interstat) — FC Annecy avenged an earlier season defeat with a 2-1 comeback victory over Red Star in a physical Ligue 2 match at Parc des Sports on Friday.

The result, which defied pregame projections, saw the home side overcome a halftime deficit with two second-half goals in an eight-minute span to secure three critical points in the league standings.

The match was a tense and often fractious affair from the outset, with five yellow cards issued by the interval. Red Star defender Axel Drouhin was booked in the 9th minute, setting the tone for a first half that saw four more cautions in stoppage time and immediately after the restart. Clément Billemaz and Alejandro Rodriguez were both shown yellow in the 45th minute, followed by Hacéne Benali in the 48th.

Despite the stop-start nature of the play, the visitors broke through just before halftime. In the 49th minute, forward Thibault Rambaud found the net to give Red Star a 1-0 lead, capitalizing on an assist from defender Axel Drouhin.

Red Star, which had won the previous meeting between the clubs 1-0 last August, carried that narrow advantage deep into the second half. The game turned decisively in Annecy’s favor in a swift and decisive sequence. In the 74th minute, midfielder Antoine Larose leveled the score at 1-1, finishing an assist from forward Clément Billemaz.

The home side’s momentum proved unstoppable. Just eight minutes later, substitute Kevin Cabral completed the turnaround, scoring the match-winner in the 82nd minute. The goal was set up by fellow substitute Giovanni Haag, who along with Benali provided crucial energy off the bench for Annecy.

The late goal sparked a final flurry of tension, with Annecy’s Haag receiving a yellow card in the 88th minute, but the home side managed the remaining minutes to seal the victory.

The win improves FC Annecy’s Ligue 2 record to 10 wins, 7 losses and 5 draws this season. The loss leaves Red Star at 9 wins, 6 losses and 5 draws in league play. Both clubs now hold identical overall records across all competitions at 10 wins, 7 losses and 6 draws.

The outcome contradicted the pre-match analytics. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw, and its ELO rating system had given Red Star a 52.4 percent probability of victory.

FC Annecy will look to build on the victory when it travels to face Bastia next Friday. Red Star, which saw a two-game winning streak snapped, will aim to rebound at home against Le Mans FC on Saturday, Feb. 28.