The fate of the Ligue 2 play-off 2 between Saint-Étienne and Rodez was ultimately decided by a dramatic penalty shootout on Friday night. A pivotal decision by coach Philippe Montanier, who introduced 36-year-old substitute goalkeeper Brice Maubleu in place of captain Gautier Larsonneur just before the end of regular time, proved to be the game-changer. The experienced shot-stopper from Isère delivered an outstanding performance, making four crucial saves that secured a 7-6 victory in the shootout for Les Verts, after a 0-0 draw in regulation. This triumph means Saint-Étienne will now advance to a two-legged promotion play-off against the 16th-ranked side from Ligue 1, with their opponent — Le Havre, Auxerre, or Nice — to be confirmed on Sunday. The first leg is scheduled for May 21st at Saint-Étienne’s home ground, followed by the decisive return leg away on May 24th.
The penalty shootout itself was an edge-of-your-seat affair. Saint-Étienne appeared to be cruising to victory after Maubleu’s initial two saves gave them a two-goal advantage. However, Aïmen Moueffek missed a crucial match point, his shot expertly denied by Quentin Braat, recognized as the best goalkeeper in Ligue 2. With their backs against the wall, young Djylian N’Guessan (17 years old), Abdoulaye Kanté, and Maxime Bernauer stepped up to keep Saint-Étienne’s hopes alive. Maubleu then produced another vital save, only to miss his own penalty attempt. Nevertheless, his fourth save proved decisive, paving the way for Loïc Nadé to calmly convert his spot-kick, sending the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium into raptures.
Rodez’s missed opportunities and resilience
“It was a complicated match,” admitted Saint-Étienne defender Maxime Bernauer after the final whistle. Indeed, Les Verts found themselves frustrated by a vibrant Rodez side, who arrived with an impressive 21-match unbeaten streak and a convincing 3-2 victory over Red Star in their play-off 1 fixture.
Didier Santini’s men displayed superior attacking intent, crafting the best scoring opportunities of the first half. Wilitty Younoussa struck Gautier Larsonneur’s left post with a powerful shot in the 21st minute, and Tairyk Arconte forced a strong save from Larsonneur just before halftime (45th + 1).
Perhaps feeling the effects of their previous efforts, Rodez showed signs of fatigue in the second half. Saint-Étienne gained more possession but struggled to create genuine threats, aside from Moueffek’s central strike in the 90th minute, which Braat parried away. Ten minutes earlier, the Ligue 2 fifth-place finishers had a golden opportunity to win the match on a counter-attack, but Sammy Benchamma, found in a good position, completely misfired his shot (81st minute). While Rodez will remain in Ligue 2 for the 2026-2027 season, Saint-Étienne’s dreams of promotion to the top flight are very much alive.