Two Doumbia goals lift Brest to a 2-1 win over Le Havre

Stade Brestois 29 secured a 2-1 victory away to Le Havre in Ligue 1, recovering from two successive draws in their pre-match form to claim all three points. Le Havre, who had entered the game with one draw and one loss, were beaten despite enjoying the greater share of possession.

Doumbia gives Brest control

Brest took the lead in the 12th minute when Kamory Doumbia converted a penalty. The visitors remained in front at half-time, but the opening period also contained a major disciplinary turning point. Le Havre received yellow cards for Lionel Mpasi-Nzau and Didier Digard, while Doumbia was booked for Brest. Junior Mwanga then received a red card in the 45th minute, leaving Le Havre to play the second half with 10 men.

Le Havre made a change at the interval, replacing Rassoul Ndiaye with Sota Nakamura, but Brest extended their advantage six minutes after the restart. Doumbia scored his second goal of the match from normal play in the 51st minute, with Mama Baldé providing the assist. Baldé was later substituted for Noah Edjouma in the 67th minute, while Doumbia made way for Lucas Tousart in the 75th.

Le Havre respond but fall short

Le Havre continued to compete despite the numerical disadvantage and reduced the deficit in the 79th minute. Rayan Fofana converted a penalty after coming on for Josh Maja in the 62nd minute. Fofana finished with the highest match rating of any Le Havre player, 7.6, after 28 minutes and one shot on target, but the late goal did not produce an equaliser.

The statistics show a contest that was closer in possession than the scoreline suggested. Le Havre held 56% of the ball and completed 372 accurate passes from 453 total, compared with Brest’s 287 accurate passes from 367. However, Brest edged the total-shot count 19-18 and were much more effective in testing the goalkeeper, recording nine shots on goal to Le Havre’s four. Le Havre also had 13 shots inside the box, one more than Brest, but could not convert that pressure into enough goals.

Result reshapes early league picture

The supplied standings listed Le Havre 15th with one point from two matches and Brest 12th with two points from two, both with the records shown before this result. Brest’s win ends their run of draws and gives them a stronger platform after the opening rounds, while Le Havre must respond after suffering defeat despite their possession advantage.

Doumbia was the decisive performer. His rating of 7.5 reflected both goals, two shots on target, two key passes and two tackles, as Brest protected their lead after Le Havre’s late penalty.