Following a hard-fought encounter, Saint-Étienne emerged victorious after a penalty shootout (0-0, 7-6 on penalties) against Rodez on Friday evening in the Ligue 2 play-off 2. Les Verts are now set to face the 16th-placed team from Ligue 1, either Le Havre, Auxerre, or Nice.
The fate of the Ligue 2 play-off 2 clash between Saint-Étienne and Rodez was ultimately decided by a tense penalty shootout this Friday. A pivotal decision by coach Philippe Montanier, who introduced substitute goalkeeper Brice Maubleu, 36, in place of captain Gautier Larsonneur just before the end of regular time, proved decisive. The experienced shot-stopper delivered a masterful performance, making four crucial saves to secure a 7-6 victory for Les Verts after a goalless draw, propelling them into the two-legged promotion play-off against the 16th-placed Ligue 1 side. Their opponent, either Le Havre, Auxerre, or Nice, will be determined on Sunday evening. The first leg is scheduled for May 21st in Saint-Étienne, with the decisive return leg away on May 24th.
The penalty shootout itself was an absolute nail-biter. Les Verts appeared to be cruising to victory after Maubleu’s initial two saves gave them a two-goal advantage, but Aïmen Moueffek then missed a crucial match-winning penalty, denied by the excellent Quentin Braat, Rodez’s top-ranked Ligue 2 goalkeeper. With their backs against the wall, young Djylian N’Guessan, Abdoulaye Kanté, and Maxime Bernauer stepped up to keep Saint-Étienne’s hopes alive. Maubleu then produced another save, even stepping up to take a penalty himself, which he uncharacteristically missed. However, his fourth heroic save proved to be the turning point, allowing Loïc Nadé to confidently convert his spot-kick, sending Geoffroy-Guichard into raptures and securing the dramatic win.
rodez’s missed opportunities
Defender Maxime Bernauer of Saint-Étienne admitted it was “a complicated match.” Indeed, Les Verts found themselves challenged by a vibrant Rodez side, who arrived on an impressive 21-match unbeaten streak and fresh off a convincing 3-2 victory over Red Star in play-off 1.
Didier Santini’s men were notably more incisive in the opening half, creating the best scoring chances. Wilitty Younoussa struck Gautier Larsonneur’s left post with a chipped effort in the 21st minute, and Tairyk Arconte forced a save from Larsonneur just before halftime in the 45th minute.
Perhaps due to fatigue, Rodez’s intensity waned in the second half. Saint-Étienne dominated possession but struggled to create genuine threats, save for an off-target shot from Moueffek that Braat parried in the 90th minute. Ten minutes prior, the Ligue 2 fifth-place finishers had a golden opportunity to win the match on a counter-attack, but Sammy Benchamma squandered his shot from a pullback in the 81st minute. With this result, Rodez will remain in Ligue 2 for the 2026-2027 season, while Saint-Étienne keeps their promotion dreams very much alive.
