Saint-Étienne, Le Havre Settle for a Crucial 1-1 Draw

SAINT-Étienne, France — On Sunday, March 9, 2025, AS Saint-Étienne faced Le Havre AC in a crucial Ligue 1 match marked by both clubs fighting against relegation. The game, part of the 25th round of the season, ended in a 1-1 draw after a hard-fought contest.

The match kicked off at Stade Océane at 5:15 p.m., with both teams needing points to lift themselves above the relegation zone. ASSE currently sat in 17th place, while Le Havre was in 16th. The visitors showed promising signs early on, with Lucas Stassin scoring the opener just 11 minutes in, marking his sixth goal of the season. “We started well, and I thought we could have followed up with a second goal, but we faded as the first half progressed,” said ASSE midfielder Aïmen Moueffek. “It’s important for us to learn how to avoid conceding after scoring.”

Le Havre responded quickly, equalizing just before halftime through Abdoulaye Touré, who converted a penalty granted for a handball. This incident underscored ASSE’s defensive vulnerabilities, marking their struggle to hold onto leads during the season.

VAR played a pivotal role in the first half, as ASSE had a potential second goal disallowed only two minutes after Stassin’s opener due to a narrow offside call against Cardona. The disallowed goal fueled pressure in an already high-stakes match.

Despite the setback, ASSE remained aggressive. Moueffek consistently drove play from the midfield, creating opportunities as the first half drew to a close. However, they left the pitch aware that they could have secured two more vital points with a more stable performance.

In the second half, Le Havre pushed aggressively for control, applying pressure on ASSE’s defense, which held firm against a series of attempts to regain the lead. Close calls and shots from distance from Le Havre highlighted their struggles to convert dominance into goals.

The significance of the game extended beyond just the points, as ASSE entered the match seeking to improve their dismal away record of no wins this season. “We need to prepare rigorously for the next match against Montpellier. The importance of each game is rising,” Moueffek reiterated, emphasizing the critical nature of every point as the season progresses.

Le Havre had also faced challenges with inconsistency at home, accumulating merely six points at Stade Océane since the start of the season. Despite late-game possession and pressure, they struggled to turn that into meaningful scoring chances.

Post-match, the draw left both clubs still close to the relegation zone, with ASSE trailing Le Havre by one point after Reims suffered a simultaneous defeat to Auxerre. The ASSE fans, nearly 1,000 strong at the away match, raised banners showing their solidarity with messages that read, “Wearing this jersey is honorable; show they’re worth it.”

Head coach Eirik Horneland emphasized the need for resilience moving forward: “We cannot afford to ease off; we must stay strong and resilient. The upcoming matches will define our season, starting with Montpellier next week, which is incredibly important for our campaign.”

As both teams look ahead to their next fixtures, Le Havre aims to secure their position above the relegation zone while the fight to avoid going down intensifies as Ligue 1 heads into its final stretch. Every point now represents a crucial step towards season survival.