Red Star 93 took all three points at Stade Francis-Le Basser, beating Laval 2-1 in Ligue 2's fifth round on Friday evening. The visitors turned around a half-goal deficit to claim victory, with Mathys Houdayer's strike in the 49th minute proving decisive. Samuel Renel had opened the scoring before Damien Durand equalised for the hosts on the stroke of half-time.
Renel gave Red Star 93 the lead in the 37th minute, finishing a chance that came from sustained pressure. Laval responded well and Durand restored parity just before the break, timing his run to meet the cross perfectly. The momentum shifted after that point, though.
Houdayer ended the deadlock on 49 minutes, capitalising on space behind the Laval defence when the hosts were still settling back into shape. To be fair, Laval had controlled possession and created more attacks, but Red Star 93 were sharper in the final third. By then, the game was balanced on a knife-edge.
The statistics told a different story from the scoreline. Laval registered 129 attacks and dominated possession at 53 per cent, yet managed only three shots on target with 20 per cent accuracy. Red Star 93, with fewer attacks at 88, converted 44 per cent of their shots on target and created three big chances compared to zero for the hosts.
Both sides received multiple yellow cards throughout the match, with Laval's Cyril Mandouki booked in the 29th minute and Red Star 93's Kémo Cissé following in the 52nd. Several substitutions were made in the second half as both managers looked for fresh legs, though neither side could find a second goal after the opening exchanges.
The result keeps Red Star 93 in eighth place with five points from four matches, while Laval remain 14th on four points. The visitors extended their unbeaten run to three games, having drawn two and won one in their previous outings. Laval's away form continues to be a concern after this defeat.