For 77 minutes, Marseille had turned the Vélodrome into a one-sided autumn evening. Then Le Havre found a way back into the light, scoring three times and forcing a frantic finish before OM held on for a 4-3 Ligue 1 victory on Sunday.
CJ Egan-Riley, Timothy Weah, Igor Paixão and Himad Abdelli built a four-goal Marseille lead, but Josh Maja’s penalty, Lamine N’Diaye’s close-range header and another Maja header made the closing stages unexpectedly fraught on 25 October 2026.
Quick facts
- Result: Marseille 4-3 Le Havre
- Competition: Ligue 1, matchday eight
- Venue: CEPAC Vélodrome
- Marseille scorers: CJ Egan-Riley, Timothy Weah, Igor Paixão, Himad Abdelli
- Le Havre scorers: Josh Maja (two), Lamine N’Diaye
- Le Havre had a stoppage-time penalty appeal overturned by VAR
Marseille made their early territorial pressure count in the fifth minute. After Nayef Aguerd had a header blocked from Amine Harit’s corner, Emerson delivered again and Egan-Riley powered a header into the top-right corner.
Le Havre had chances to answer. Mbwana Samatta headed over from Djibril Ouziad’s cross, while Rayan Fofana forced a low save after Ahmed Touba’s pass. Ouziad also went close twice, first firing narrowly over and then placing another effort just wide.
But Marseille struck again on 33 minutes. Weah finished right-footed from the centre of the area to give the home side a 2-0 half-time advantage.
Le Havre continued to threaten in flashes before the interval, with Fofana seeing an effort blocked and Ouziad missing the target from inside the box. Marseille had their own openings, although Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Abdelli could not add to the score before the break.
The second half initially looked like a procession. Paixão made it 3-0 in the 50th minute, meeting Amine Gouiri’s delivery from a free-kick with a right-footed finish from close range.
Five minutes later, Abdelli put Marseille four ahead. The midfielder collected the ball following another set-piece and drove a right-footed shot into the top-left corner.
Paixão later tested Le Havre’s goalkeeper from distance but also required treatment in the 63rd minute. Abdelli was forced off after an injury stoppage at 71 minutes, with Nouhoum Kamissoko replacing him. Angel Gomes came on for Højbjerg, while Ulisses Garcia replaced Paixão late on.
Le Havre changed the shape of the contest with substitutes Sota Nakamura and Maja entering on 61 minutes. The visitors created pressure through Fofana, Nakamura and N’Diaye, although Maja had one effort blocked and Nakamura sent another narrowly wide.
The route back opened in the 75th minute when Weah fouled Fofana in the Marseille area. Maja converted the penalty low to the left in the 77th minute after Neal Maupay and Keyliane Abdallah had entered for Gouiri and Harit.
Le Havre kept coming. Nakamura’s angled shot was saved, and N’Diaye had a difficult long-range attempt stopped before he reduced the deficit again in the 86th minute, turning home from close range after Nakamura’s shot had been kept out.
Maja then headed in Kaito Mizuta’s free-kick in the 89th minute to make it 4-3. Seven minutes of added time became an extended siege, with Mizuta, N’Diaye, Simon Ebonog and Ayumu Seko all unable to find the equaliser.
Le Havre briefly believed they might have a penalty in stoppage time after Mizuta’s effort was blocked, but VAR ruled against the award. Mizuta then fired over in the final seconds as Marseille survived.
The closing spell also brought yellow cards for Ebonog, Seko and N’Diaye of Le Havre, plus Marseille substitute Maupay. The final whistle arrived after 90 minutes plus 13, ending a match Marseille had almost allowed to slip away.
