Ajorque's late penalty decided it for Stade Brestois 29 over Lyon

Stade Brestois 29 beat Lyon 2-0 thanks to Noah Edjouma's early goal and Ludovic Ajorque's late penalty, despite Lyon holding far more of the ball.

Ludovic Ajorque's penalty in the 90th minute decided this match, and it came after Stade Brestois 29 had spent most of the game looking second best on the ball. Noah Edjouma put the home side ahead in the 22nd minute, set up by Kamory Doumbia, and that lead held until the end of normal time. Lyon had their own penalty cancelled after a VAR check in the 62nd minute, so both spot kicks shaped the afternoon.

Lyon had 69% of the ball, a long way above their own away average of 50.9%. They completed 578 passes to Stade Brestois 29's 247, so the visitors spent long spells in possession. Stade Brestois 29 had 31% of the ball against a home average of 46.6%, which made it an unusual afternoon for both sides. Possession only tells us who was holding the ball, though, and holding it is not the same as creating chances.

Chances are better judged by expected goals (xG), a rough score of how promising each shot was. Stade Brestois 29's figure was 1.13 against a home average of 1.72, while Lyon's away figure of 0.65 sits well under their usual 1.15. Both are below the league average of 1.41 per side, so neither team created what it normally does. Stade Brestois 29 still took 13 shots, close to their usual 13.9, which suggests the chances were less promising rather than fewer.

Shots on target told a different story. Stade Brestois 29 hit the target six times to Lyon's two, and Ludovic Ajorque had five attempts with four on target. D. Greif made four saves for Lyon, while E. Selvik made two at the other end. Corentin Tolisso was Lyon's busiest attacker, with three shots and three key passes, but he did not score.

Lyon also had eight corners to Stade Brestois 29's one, a clear gap in set-piece chances. At the back, the picture reverses. Stade Brestois 29 conceded nothing against a home average of 1.3 goals, while Lyon let in two away from home, above their usual 0.8. Lyon's corners did not produce a goal, and the home side's clean sheet came without much help from anyone else.

In the league table, Stade Brestois 29 sit eleventh in the home table with 12 points from nine matches, while Lyon are fourth in the away table with 17 from nine. Lyon's away record reads five wins, two draws and two defeats, with 15 goals scored and seven conceded. With the three points, Stade Brestois 29's home record now stands at 15 points from ten matches.

Player of the matchN. Edjouma1 goal7.9

L. Ajorque1 goal7.5

K. Doumbia1 assist7.5

E. Selvik2 saves7.0