DÉCINES-CHARPPIEU, France (Interstat) — Lyon overcame an early deficit and held on with 10 men to beat Nice 2-1 on Sunday at Groupama Stadium. Nice struck first in the 18th minute when Elye Wahi Sepe finished off a Jonathan Clauss assist. Lyon answered through Pavel Sulc in the 32nd minute and took the lead four minutes later when Tanner Tessmann scored. Zachary Athekame recorded an assist for Lyon. The home side then protected the advantage through a tense closing stretch after K. Nakamura was sent off in the 70th minute. Lyon’s comeback came in a four-minute burst late in the first half, and the home side spent the second half managing its lead rather than chasing another goal.

Tessmann’s goal proved decisive, and his performance was central to Lyon’s response. He played the full match and scored once. Sulc also scored before being substituted in the 81st minute. Wahi was dangerous for Nice throughout and scored the opener, though he was booked in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Clauss provided Nice’s assist, while Athekame supplied an assist for Lyon. The goals arrived after Nice had controlled the opening exchanges, with Wahi’s early finish giving the visitors a short-lived advantage. Lyon’s pressure increased after the equalizer, and the home side needed only four more minutes to turn the match around. The first-half goals came from Tessmann and Sulc, while Wahi’s early finish was Nice’s only goal of the match. Tessmann finished with one goal in 90 minutes, and Sulc finished with one goal in 81 minutes. Athekame and Clauss each finished with an assist.

Nice’s discipline problems compounded its task. N. Nkounkou was booked in the 10th minute, M. Abdelmonem in the 48th, M. Amoura in the 65th and Wahi in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Lyon’s red card to Nakamura in the 70th minute gave Nice a man advantage for the final 20 minutes plus stoppage time, but the visitors could not find an equalizer. Lyon made substitutions in the 61st minute involving J. Duranville and N. Nartey, then brought on K. Boudache in the 75th. Sulc was replaced in the 81st minute, and Abner Vinicius was also part of a Lyon substitution at that time. Nice made a substitution involving Abdelmonem in the 81st minute and further changes in the 87th minute involving X. Mandza Tsiendi, A. Witsel and G. Hein. The late substitutions gave Nice fresh legs, but Lyon’s defensive shape held through the closing minutes. The booking count against Nice continued to rise as the match wore on, and the visitors finished with four cautions. Lyon’s red card changed the game state, but Nice could not convert its numerical advantage into a goal. Lyon made five substitutions in total, including the 61st-minute changes and the 81st-minute replacements. Nice used three substitutes in the 87th minute as it sought a late spark. The final minutes were played with Lyon protecting a one-goal lead and Nice pushing forward.

Lyon improved to 4-1-2 in the competition and 5-1-2 across all competitions. Nice dropped to 2-3-2 in the competition and 2-3-2 across all competitions. Lyon’s competition record now stands at four wins, one loss and two draws, while its overall mark is five wins, one loss and two draws. Nice’s competition record is two wins, three losses and two draws, matching its overall record. The result gave Lyon a home victory after its recent home win over Crystal Palace and a road loss at Lens. Nice, meanwhile, could not build on its recent home wins over Strasbourg and Lille. The match featured four yellow cards and one red card, with Nice receiving four yellow cards including Wahi’s late caution. Lyon’s back line absorbed pressure after Nakamura’s dismissal, and Nice’s best late chances did not produce an equalizer. Lyon’s ability to protect the lead after the sending-off proved decisive in a match that shifted quickly after Wahi’s opener.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Lyon 1, Nice 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Lyon with an 81.9 percent probability to win.