(Video) Endrick sees red but Lyon hold on to beat Nantes 1-0

Nantes – Olympique Lyonnais tightened the Ligue 1 title chase on Sunday night, grinding out a 1-0 victory away to struggling FC Nantes despite playing the final half-hour with ten men after Brazilian forward Endrick was dismissed.

The decisive moment arrived in the 25th minute when Czech midfielder Pavel Šulc side-footed home from close range after a low cross from Afonso Moreira, giving Lyon a lead they would never relinquish.

The visitors dictated tempo for long stretches, content to keep possession and force Nantes to chase shadows. Yet the complexion of the contest shifted in the 61st minute when Endrick, already on a yellow card, lunged into Matthis Abline and was shown a second caution following a VAR review.

The 18-year-old, on loan from Real Madrid, had entered the match in sparkling form—five goals and two assists in his first five Lyon appearances—but his premature exit left his teammates to negotiate the last 29 minutes a man short.

Nantes, mired in the drop zone and without a league win since early December, pushed numbers forward but found no way through Lyon’s compact block. Les Gones limited clear-cut chances, repelled set-pieces and saw out the result with professional composure.

The victory lifts Lyon to 42 points and third place, three behind second-placed Olympique de Marseille, who face leaders Paris Saint-Germain in next weekend’s clasico. Nantes remain 16th on 14 points, now winless in four straight league fixtures and looking anxiously over their shoulders at the relegation places.