LYON, France (Interstat) — Olympique Lyonnais opened its Ligue 1 campaign with a commanding 2-0 victory over OGC Nice on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, at Groupama Stadium, defying a pregame projection that had forecast a draw.

The home side controlled the match from the outset, translating its dominance into a crucial goal just before halftime. In the first minute of first-half stoppage time, midfielder Corentin Tolisso broke the deadlock, sending Lyon into the break with a deserved lead.

Lyon continued to press in the second half and sealed the victory in the 64th minute. The decisive goal came from midfielder Noah Nartey, who finished a chance created by teammate Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Maitland-Niles was credited with the assist on the play, though his contribution was later marred by a yellow card.

The match was a physical affair, with four yellow cards issued by the officiating crew. Nice’s Morgan Sanson received the first booking in the 21st minute. Maitland-Niles was cautioned in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, shortly after Tolisso’s opener. Nice’s Tanner Tessmann saw yellow in the 52nd minute, and teammate Abner was booked in the 87th minute as the visitors struggled to mount a comeback.

The result provided a stark contrast to the pregame analytics. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 draw, while the same service’s ELO rating system gave Lyon a 94.3% probability to win outright. Lyon’s performance validated the high probability, if not the simulated scoreline.

With the win, Lyon begins its Ligue 1 season with a perfect record of one win and no losses. Nice starts its campaign with one loss and no wins. The records are identical across all competitions for both clubs at this early stage of the season.

The victory establishes early momentum for Lyon in the French top flight, while Nice will look to regroup after a season-opening defeat on the road.