Nancy 3-2 Dunkerque: Ligue 2 2025-26 match report

The opening

Nancy secured a hard-fought 3–2 victory over Dunkerque at the Stade Marcel Picot on Sunday, navigating a chaotic second half to claim all three points in this Ligue 2 fixture. Pablo Correa’s decision to deploy a 5-4-1 formation provided Nancy with defensive stability in the early stages, allowing the home side to dictate the tempo and exploit spaces in the Dunkerque backline.

The hosts’ tactical discipline paid dividends midway through the first half. In the 20th minute, N. Saint-Ruf broke the deadlock, converting a delivery from C. Suljic to put Nancy in front. The goal appeared to disrupt the rhythm of Albert Sanchez’s 4-1-4-1 setup, as Dunkerque struggled to find a cohesive response. Nancy capitalized on this momentum just 14 minutes later when M. Guendez doubled the lead, assisted by Z. Fdaouch. Entering the halftime interval with a 2–0 cushion, Nancy appeared in total control, having neutralized Dunkerque’s midfield transitions with relative ease.

The decisive moment

Recognizing the need for a tactical shift, Albert Sanchez made a double substitution at the start of the second half, introducing M. Makhloufi and D. Diongu in place of Opa Sanganté and L. Doucet. While the changes aimed to inject energy into the Dunkerque attack, the game entered a period of fragmentation as both managers utilized their benches extensively.

The match remained relatively quiet until the final quarter, when the intensity escalated significantly. In the 79th minute, Y. Sekongo finally found a breakthrough for the visitors, narrowing the deficit to 2–1 and shifting the pressure onto the Nancy defense. However, the home side demonstrated resilience. Just five minutes after conceding, E. Tacafred restored Nancy’s two-goal advantage in the 84th minute, a strike that seemed to effectively seal the result.

Despite the late setback, Dunkerque continued to push forward in the closing minutes. The visitors were rewarded for their persistence in the 90th minute when T. Robinet netted a second goal for Dunkerque, assisted by Sekongo. The late flurry of activity—compounded by a yellow card for Sekongo in stoppage time—kept the home crowd on edge, but Nancy managed the final moments to preserve their narrow lead and finalize the 3–2 scoreline.

Looking ahead

The result provides Nancy with a morale-boosting finish as they look to solidify their standing in the final stages of the 2025-26 Ligue 2 campaign. For Dunkerque, the defeat highlights defensive vulnerabilities that surfaced in the first half, though their late offensive surge provides a foundation to build upon for their remaining fixtures.