The crucial match between Rodez and AS Saint-Etienne this Saturday evening is set to be decisive for promotion to Ligue 1. The Greens, currently third in Ligue 2, find themselves in a perilous position, one point behind Le Mans FC, on the penultimate day of the championship. This encounter against the Aveyronnais, ranked sixth, is vital for their direct promotion or playoff ambitions.

AS Saint-Etienne's season end has turned into a nightmare with two consecutive defeats, 2-0 against SC Bastia and 0-3 against Estac at Geoffroy-Guichard. These setbacks allowed Estac to secure their promotion and relegated Philippe Montanier's team to third place, potentially forcing them into complex playoffs to hope for a return to the elite.

AS Saint-Etienne goalkeeper Gautier Larsonneur expressed the difficulty of the situation during a press conference, stating that “the result hurts.” Third place would oblige the Stéphanois to play a playoff against the winner of the match between 4th and 5th, before challenging the 16th in Ligue 1, currently AJ Auxerre.

The trip to Rodez promises to be extremely perilous for the Greens, as the Rodez club, sixth, is capable of overtaking them in the standings, as is Red Star of Stade de Reims. Simultaneously, Le Mans and Reims will face each other in the other decisive match of the evening at Stade Marie-Marvingt, adding extra pressure on Saint-Etienne's shoulders.

For this crucial confrontation, AS Saint-Etienne will have to do without their most decisive player of the season, Zuriko Davitashvili. The Georgian winger, who has 13 goals and 4 assists in 28 matches, is suffering from a sprained ankle and will not be operational for the Rodez match. His presence for the last meeting against Amiens at Geoffroy-Guichard remains uncertain.

Finally, other physical setbacks affect the Saint-Etienne squad. While Julien Le Cardinal should be available, Chico Lamba suffered a stress fracture and Aïmen Moueffek took a big blow to the calf. Philippe Montanier highlighted the absence of a “common denominator” for these debilitating injuries, but insisted on the need to “find the virtues to overcome these obstacles!”