Grenoble vs PAU Match Recap - Oct 17, 2025

Last-Gasp Equalizer at Stade des Alpes as Cheikh Fall Snatches a Point for Surging Pau, While Grenoble’s Frustration Mounts

An autumn chill settled over the Stade des Alpes on Friday evening, but nothing could dampen the drama that unfolded as Grenoble Foot 38 were denied a sorely needed win by a stoppage-time equalizer from Pau’s Cheikh Fall. In a contest shaped by shifting momentum, near-misses, and the undercurrents of each club’s contrasting trajectories, a 1-1 draw did little to clarify Ligue 2’s evolving picture but much to define its tension.

For 89 minutes, Grenoble clung to the slender thread of a home victory and a spark to ignite their uneven campaign. Yadaly Diaby, whose recent form has emerged as one of the club’s rare bright spots, delivered again just after halftime. His goal in the 48th minute—swept in with cool efficiency after a period of Grenoble pressure—was met by a roar from the home faithful, starved for attacking flair in a season defined more by grit than glamour.

The hosts, sitting 14th in the table at kickoff and fresh from a cathartic 4-2 road win against Reims, played as if conscious of both how precious every point is and how costly every lapse can be. Their vulnerability was never far from the evening’s surface. The specter of inconsistency has haunted Vincent Hognon’s side, evident in a five-match run that veered from the exhilaration of victory at Reims to the frustration of a goalless slog against Bastia and a disappointing defeat at Le Mans.

Against Pau, Grenoble looked, for long spells, like a team determined to leave nothing to chance. They pressed high in the opening stages, with Evans Fabrice Maurin’s energy on the flanks and the composure of Mattheo Xantippe anchoring their defensive line. When Diaby latched onto a loose ball just inside the box shortly after the restart, the finish was clinical—a low drive that beat the visiting goalkeeper and ignited hope among the terraces.

But hope can be brittle, and Pau are no strangers to late heroics this season. Positioned third in Ligue 2 with 20 points and riding a wave of momentum—six wins from their opening nine, including a recent 3-1 dispatching of Clermont—the visitors refused to yield. Their attacking interplay, orchestrated by the tireless Antonin Bobichon and the creativity of Rayane Messi Tanfouri, began to carve open opportunities as the minutes waned.

Yet Grenoble, and goalkeeper Brice Maubleu, absorbed the pressure with a resilience that belied their place in the standings. For a spell, it seemed they might even extend their modest unbeaten home run, closing ranks as the clock ticked toward full time. The tension in the stands grew palpable, with every clearance cheered and every challenge contested as if the season’s entire narrative hung on each duel.

Then, in the dying embers, came the moment that will linger in both memory and the standings. A Pau corner, swung in with intent, sparked chaos in the area. Cheikh Fall, who had been denied moments earlier by a fine Maubleu save, pounced on a scrappy rebound and bundled the ball home for a dramatic leveler in the 90th minute. The visiting bench erupted—as did the Pau contingent scattered behind the goal—while heads dropped in the home end. For Pau, it was another point pried from the jaws of defeat; for Grenoble, another cautionary tale of late-game vulnerability.

Neither side finished with a man dismissed, but tempers frayed as eight yellow cards were brandished in a match where the stakes felt higher than the league table alone could suggest. For Grenoble, the missed opportunity leaves them with just nine points from as many matches—two wins, three draws, and four losses—a record that belies both their ambition and their sporadic flashes of quality.

For Pau, the result underlines their growing reputation as Ligue 2’s comeback specialists, and it keeps them just two points off the summit as October deepens. Their performance, for long stretches stymied by Grenoble’s discipline, found redemption in persistence—a trait that may yet prove decisive as the promotion race crystalizes.

Looking ahead, Grenoble must now reckon with a string of fixtures that will test both their mettle and their patience. The margin for error continues to shrink as autumn gives way to the business end of the campaign. For Pau, momentum remains their ally. Unbeaten in their last five and with a knack for decisive goals, they ride the bus home from the Alps assured not only of a hard-fought point but of their credentials as genuine contenders.

History has seldom been kind to Grenoble in this fixture, and tonight’s late drama offered no reprieve. As the Ligue 2 table tightens, every story of missed chances and salvaged draws will take on greater meaning. On this night, at least, Pau wrote the latest chapter—one that leaves Grenoble searching and Pau believing.