Mumbai, April 20: Saint-Etienne boosted its chances of staying in Ligue 1 after winning a match which had been interrupted Sunday when a linesman was hit on the head by a projectile. Saint-Etienne beat Lyon 2-1 to dent its local rival's hopes of qualifying directly for the Champions League. The high-octane match was halted for 45 minutes after linesman Mehdi Rahmouni was hit by a projectile — possibly a coin — thrown from the crowd close to halftime at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. PSG Closer to Unbeaten Ligue 1 2024–25 Season After Beating Le Havre and Marseille Reclaims Second Spot.

Belgian forward Lucas Stassin scored before and after the interruption to reach 12 league goals and the 20-year-old's scoring prowess could prove crucial to keeping his side up. Saint-Etienne moved level on points with 16th-placed Le Havre in the relegation-playoff spot, with four games left. Lyon's goal came from American defender Tanner Tessmann's fine curler from the edge of the penalty area in the 76th minute. It was his first goal for the club.

Linesman Is Hit by Projectile During  Saint-Etienne vs Lyon Game 

“We needed to start the game better,” Tessmann said. “The first half was really bad.”

Match and Linesman Continue

French league officials met to decide whether to continue the match and agreed to do so because Rahmouni was not injured. The match resumed at 10:15 p.m. local time with the closing stages of the first half, and Rahmouni was given a thumbs up by referee François Letexier and a warm ovation as he took up his position.

Letexier had halted the game in the 45th minute. It was unclear who threw the projectile. There were no away fans at the match for security reasons due to a high risk of clashes between rival supporters. Saint-Etienne was leading 1-0 at the time. Georges Mikautadze Shines As Resurgent Lyon Beat Auxerre 3–1 To Climb to Fourth Spot in Ligue 1 2024–25 Points Table.

Left back Léo Pétrot curled in a pinpoint cross to Stassin, who headed in from close range and celebrated among the fans. Stassin was shown a red card in the 23rd minute for a crude foul on Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso, who had to be taken off, but Letexier changed his decision following a video review and Stassin received only a yellow card. The decision enraged Lyon president John Textor.

“One of the most obvious red cards one can see is waved off,” the American posted on Instagram.

David Double

Canada striker Jonathan David scored two goals and set up the other as Lille beat Auxerre 3-1 to maintain its push for a Champions League place next season.