Saint Etienne move on after 0-0, 7-6 on penalties against Rodez
Saint Etienne are ninety minutes from a Ligue 1 return after squeezing past Rodez 7-6 in last night’s shootout at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. G. Printant’s side could not find the net across regulation time yet held their nerve from the spot to earn a place in the play-off final.
Possession belonged to the hosts throughout, the 4-2-3-1 giving Zuriko Davitashvili pockets to operate between Rodez’s back five and midfield trio. Davitashvili supplied five key passes, repeatedly feeding Lucas Stassin and overlapping full back Ben Old, but Saint Etienne’s 62 percent share of the ball yielded only two efforts on target. Joshua Duffus’ withdrawal for Aimen Moueffek in the 60th minute brought fresh legs but neither the change nor a tempo shift broke the stalemate.
Printant doubled down on width in the 71st minute, sending on Mickaël Nadé and Djylian N’Guessan for Julien Le Cardinal and Irvin Cardona. Nadé helped lock Rodez in their own half while N’Guessan immediately connected with Davitashvili, yet Rodez’s line refused to crack. Abdoulaye Kanté’s booking in the 64th minute summed up the frustration of a midfield that pushed relentlessly without reward.
D. Santini’s Rodez came with a 5-3-2 geared for transition, and it nearly paid off through Wilitty Younoussa’s surges and Ibrahima Baldé’s diagonal runs. Santini freshened his flanks in the 72nd minute by introducing Kenny Nagera and Mathis Saka, later adding Octave Joly and Samy Benchamma in the 79th. Benchamma collected a yellow card for a foul in the 83rd minute, yet Rodez’s structure stayed intact and Quentin Braat handled what little came his way.
With penalties looming, Printant made the bold call in the second minute of stoppage time to replace captain Gautier Larsonneur with Brice Maubleu and introduce João Ferreira for Luan Gadegbeku. Saint Etienne then converted the pressure into a 7-6 shootout success, finally turning dominance into progression.
Numbers
- Shots on target: Saint Etienne 2, Rodez 2
- Total shots: Saint Etienne 11, Rodez 13
- Possession: Saint Etienne 62 percent, Rodez 38 percent
- Corners: Saint Etienne 8, Rodez 3
- Pass accuracy: Saint Etienne 87 percent, Rodez 82 percent
- Fouls: Saint Etienne 13, Rodez 13
Looking ahead
Saint Etienne now prepare for the decisive promotion tie, a two-legged meeting with Nice, who finished 16th in Ligue 1. Rodez and Santini bow out after a disciplined campaign, while Printant must translate territorial dominance into goals in the final if the club’s Ligue 1 comeback is to be sealed.
