Dylan Bakwa proved decisive as Lille claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Le Havre, earning three valuable points at home and moving temporarily to the top of the Ligue 1 table.

Les Dogues made a flying start, taking the lead just five minutes into the match. Bakwa kept his composure to finish off an excellent pass from Tanguy Nianzou, giving the hosts an early advantage. However, Lille, managed by Davide Ancelotti, gradually lost momentum and allowed the relegation-threatened visitors back into the contest.

Le Havre created several dangerous opportunities and tested Lille's defence, while the hosts suffered a major setback when Tiago Santos was stretchered off with an injury. The situation became more complicated for the visitors midway through the second half, when Ayumu Seko was sent off, leaving Le Havre with 10 men.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, the visitors continued to threaten. Nabil Bentaleb came agonisingly close to extending Lille's lead, striking the crossbar with a free-kick. Lille ultimately held on to secure a hard-earned victory, although the performance offered little room for complacency ahead of their upcoming UEFA Champions League trip to face Arsenal.

2026-27, France - Ligue 1

Lille - Le Havre 1:0 (1:0)
Goals: Bakwa, 5 (1:0)

Lille: Özer; Alexsandro; Perraud (Verdonk, 73); Santos T. (Goffi, 22); Nianzou; Mukau (Sahraoui, 73); Bentaleb; Kjaergaard; Perrin G. (Haraldsson, 57); Bakwa; Giroud (Ueda A., 57)
Substitution: Goffi (from 22); Haraldsson (from 57); Ueda A. (from 57); Verdonk (from 73); Sahraoui (from 73)
Bench: Gill; Cossier; Andre B.; Diaoune
Yellow Cards: Kjaergaard 85; Goffi 90

Le Havre: Gallon; Touba; Seko (till 61); Ouziad; Richardson (Mizuta, 82); Ndiaye R.; Ebonog; Maja J. (Mwanga, 69); Samatta; Nakamura (Fofana R-n, 69)
Substitution: Mwanga (from 69); Fofana R-n (from 69); Mizuta (from 82)
Bench: Bodart; Sasso; Zohouri; Mosengo; Bouneb; Koffi
Yellow Cards: Ndiaye R. 63; Ouziad 76
Red cards: Seko 61'