Preview: Saint-Etienne vs Nice - prediction, team news, lineups

Part 1 of the Ligue 1 promotion/relegation playoff final takes place at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on Tuesday, when top-flight hopefuls Saint-Etienne welcome Nice for the first leg.

The hosts edged out Rodez on penalties in their playoff semi-final to earn a shot at promotion against Les Aiglons, who laboured to a 16th-placed finish in the Ligue 1 table.

Match preview

Formerly a fixture of Ligue 1, spending every season from 2004-05 to 2021-22 in the top flight, Saint-Etienne have fallen on hard times in the current decade and have contested Ligue 2 football in three of the past four campaigns.

However, following a brief top-flight return and immediate demotion back down to the second tier in 2024-25, Philippe Montanier's men could return to the big time at the first time of asking, thanks to their third-placed ranking in the Ligue 2 table.

Les Verts - who finished two points below runners-up Le Mans and seven behind champions Troyes - bypassed the playoff semi-final stage thanks to their bronze-medal placement, giving them ample recovery time before meeting a Rodez AF side who had edged Red Star 3-2 just three days prior.

Nothing could separate Saint-Etienne and Rodez after 90 minutes, but Montanier's men came up trumps in a nerve-wracking penalty shootout, where 20 spot kicks were taken and 13 were scored - seven by Les Verts and six by the losing semi-finalists.

Saint-Etienne could not make the net bulge in normal time in the semi-final, but they ended the regular campaign with the second-best attacking record (39 goals) and points total (35) on home soil, where six of their last eight games have ended in victory.

Not since the 2001-02 campaign have Nice competed in the doldrums of Ligue 2, since when Les Aiglons have transformed themselves into consistent European challengers, finishing fifth or higher in three of the last five seasons.

Another continental charge appeared likely in the opening weeks of the campaign, as Nice claimed a respectable five victories from their opening 10 games of the season, but the visitors subsequently won just two of their remaining 24 matches during a disastrous downturn.

Not helped by uncertainty surrounding the ownership situation, after Manchester United stakeholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe put the club up for sale towards the end of the 2024-25 season and is yet to find a buyer, Les Aiglons comfortably steered clear of automatic relegation but suffered their lowest Ligue 1 placement since winding up in 17th in 2013-14.

Claude Puel's men could have salvaged a pitiful campaign with Coupe de France glory, but Friday's final ended in a comprehensive 3-1 defeat to Lens, extending their winless run to five matches across all competitions.

However, Les Aiglons bested Saint-Etienne 2-1 in the fifth round of the French Cup en route to this year's final, a result that marked their fifth consecutive win against their hosts, who were humiliated 8-0 by Nice in the top flight as recently as September 2024.

Saint-Etienne Ligue 1 Playoffs form:

Saint-Etienne form (all competitions):

Nice form (all competitions):

Team News

Saint-Etienne suffered no fewer than three casualties in their semi-final success over Rodez, as Julien Le Cardinal, Gauthier Larsonneur - both of whom had shaken off issues before the game - and Luan Gadegbeku were all forcibly withdrawn.

Regardless, goalkeeper Larsonneur was at risk of making way for Brice Maubleu - who saved four penalties in the semi-final shootout - while Mickael Nade is a competent alternative to Le Cardinal at centre-back.

Mahmoud Jaber (surgery), Florian Tardieu (calf), Paul Eymard (foot) and Nadir El Jamali (knee) remain out, but midfielder Augustine Boakye is available again following a yellow-card suspension.

However, Nice are ruing their own totting up of cautions, as seven-goal striker Elye Wahi will miss the first leg owing to a milestone number of bookings.

As the only other out-and-out centre-forward in the squad, Kevin Carlos should deputise for Wahi in Puel's 3-4-3, which will also feature 42-year-old captain Dante in defence.

Fellow centre-backs Youssouf Ndayishimiye (muscle) and Moise Bombito (leg) are both absent, though, as is teenage midfielder Everton due to an ankle problem.

Saint-Etienne possible starting lineup:

Maubleu; Pedro, Nade, Bernauer, Old; Moueffek, Kante; Cardona, Davitashvili, Duffus; Stassin

Nice possible starting lineup:

Diouf; Bah, Dante, Mendy; Clauss, Coulibaly, Boudaoui, Bard; Cho, Carlos, Diop

We say: Saint-Etienne 1-1 Nice

Low on energy and morale following their unsuccessful Coupe de France exploits, Nice are unlikely to come out on top at a ground where Saint-Etienne have suffered just four defeats all season long.

However, Puel's defensive setup can frustrate the hosts and enable Les Aiglons to leave with a draw, putting them in an advantageous position before the second leg at the Allianz Riviera on May 29.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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