Announced at the beginning of the season as the clear favorite for the Ligue 2 title, AS Saint-Etienne ultimately faced more difficulties than expected, especially during the final sprint, where three consecutive defeats cost them a direct promotion to Ligue 1. In a heated atmosphere, ASSE enters this playoff with a lot of frustration and the obligation to defeat Rodez, who secured their qualification on the field of Red Star and dreams of continuing their incredible journey to Ligue 1.
In a classic setup, the Green dominated the early stages of the game without posing a real threat. But after the first fifteen minutes, RAF started to control the ball better, leading to a chance for Baldé (17th minute). A few minutes later, a poor clearance by Saint-Etienne offered a great opportunity to Younoussa, whose shot hit the left post of Larsonneur (21st minute). The Chaudron then pushed on a Green counterattack, but Davitashvili missed the target (29th minute).
Maubleu heroic
After the break, ASSE still had possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances. Le Cardinal’s header went over the bar (52nd minute). The Ruthénois found it difficult to keep the ball but managed to create some interesting situations, such as a completely missed shot by Nagera at the edge of the box (81st minute). Both teams seemed content with the scoreline, avoiding unnecessary risks in the closing stages.
And on a final Saint-Etienne attack, Moueffek had the chance to secure qualification with a penalty kick, but sent his shot straight at Braat, who saved his team (90+2 minute) sending the match to a penalty shootout. Thanks to four decisive saves by Maubleu, who entered the game late for the shootout, Saint-Etienne secured qualification in a thrilling shootout for the final playoff and will now face the 16th-placed team in Ligue 1 to return to the elite division.
