In a night of high drama at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne’s promotion dreams were kept alive by an unlikely hero: backup goalkeeper Brice Maubleu, whose four penalty saves secured a 7-6 shootout victory over Rodez in the Ligue 2 play-off second round. After 120 grueling minutes ended goalless, the 36-year-old, who had only been introduced in the dying moments of extra time, produced a performance for the ages to send Les Verts into a two-legged promotion decider against the 16th-placed Ligue 1 side.
The context could hardly have been more pressurized. Saint-Étienne, one of French football’s historic clubs, are desperate to end a two-year exile from the top tier. The play-off route is notoriously unforgiving, and standing in their way were a Rodez side riding the wave of a 21-match unbeaten streak, the longest in the club’s history, and fresh from a 3-2 win at Red Star in the previous round. The visitors arrived in Saint-Étienne with genuine belief they could spring another upset.
The match itself was a tense, tactical affair. Rodez, compact and incisive, carved out the clearest openings of the first half. Midfielder Wilitty Younoussa rattled the left post with a stabbed effort in the 21st minute, sending a warning that the hosts could not afford to be passive. Saint-Étienne, for their part, probed without penetration, finding Rodez goalkeeper Quentin Braat—crowned Ligue 2’s best keeper for the season—in imperious form.
As extra time wore on and penalties loomed, Saint-Étienne manager Philippe Montanier made a decision that would define the tie. With seconds remaining in the 120th minute, he summoned Maubleu from the bench in place of captain Gautier Larsonneur. The move was a calculated gamble: Maubleu had started only a handful of games all season, but his reputation as a penalty specialist preceded him. The switch stunned the crowd but would soon prove masterful.
The shootout was a nerve-shredding epic. Maubleu immediately justified his introduction, diving low to his left to deny Rodez’s opening penalty and then repeating the trick to stop another early effort. Saint-Étienne seized a two-goal cushion, and when Aïmen Moueffek stepped up to win it, the stadium was ready to erupt. But Braat matched Maubleu’s heroics, getting a strong hand to Moueffek’s tame penalty to keep Rodez alive.
What followed was a test of character. With their backs firmly against the wall, the Greens saw 17-year-old Djylian N'Guessan, Abdoulaye Kanté, and defender Maxime Bernauer all convert their kicks under immense pressure, towing the team back from the brink each time. Maubleu, not content with his shot-stopping, even stepped up to take a penalty himself—a surreal moment that ended with his own miss.
Yet his true calling remained between the sticks. With the score balancing at 6-6, Maubleu produced a fourth save, flinging himself to parry a Rodez attempt and setting the stage. Defender Loïc Nadé then hammered the decisive kick into the roof of the net, triggering wild celebrations and a cathartic roar from the home faithful.
“It was a complicated match,” Saint-Étienne defender Maxime Bernauer admitted to beIN Sports, his words carrying the weight of the evening’s tension. The understated remark highlighted just how close the club came to seeing their season collapse.
The reward for this triumph is a two-legged showdown with a Ligue 1 side fighting for its own survival. The identity of that opponent—Le Havre, Auxerre, or Nice—will be confirmed on Sunday, with the first leg scheduled for May 21 away and the second at home on May 24. For a club that last competed in Europe over a decade ago and has since climbed back from financial turmoil, the prize is monumental: a return to the elite, a restoration of pride, and the financial windfall that comes with it.
Montanier’s brave substitution and Maubleu’s fairytale performance have already entered the lore of the famous Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. Whether it becomes a mere footnote or the catalyst for a triumphant return to Ligue 1 now depends on two more matches. But for one night, the stoic backup keeper from Isère reminded everyone why the most unexpected heroes are often the most unforgettable.
Based on reporting from L'Equipe.
