After a late stumble saw them miss out to Angers for automatic promotion, Saint-Etienne finished third in the final Ligue 2 table, earning themselves direct entry into the second-tier playoff final.
Hosting Rodez AF last Friday, Les Verts went in front on 64 minutes, via Irvin Cardona's near-post header; after another tense half-hour, substitute striker Nathanael Mbuku wrapped matters up with a cool finish.
Currently the subject of a takeover bid, Saint-Etienne have already improved on last term's eighth-placed finish, which saw them fail to earn promotion back to Ligue 1 at the first attempt, and will now try to give their potential new owners a higher platform to build on.
Ahead of Thursday's first leg, the Loire club have only lost five times and conceded 14 goals in home fixtures this season, so head coach Olivier Dall'Oglio can be confident of earning a lead to take into Sunday's decider.
Saint-Etienne most recently met Metz in Ligue 2 last season, when Les Grenats won both matches en route to promotion, but their opponents have much more to lose on this occasion.
Metz
Metz only survived automatic demotion from Ligue 1 by the narrowest of margins, as Lorient were relegated despite winning 5-0 on the final day and Laszlo Boloni's side stayed afloat due to a slightly superior head-to-head record.
Having scraped into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth, Les Grenats will now aim to halt a four-game losing streak and make the most of their second chance.
They followed a last-gasp defeat to Strasbourg with a 2-0 loss to champions Paris Saint-Germain on the last day of the 2023-24 campaign, ultimately finishing 16th on their top-flight return.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Les Grenats had only a 24% share of the ball against PSG - their lowest rate all year - but that matched a trend of struggling to impose themselves: ending the season with an average possession of 35%, they posted the worst rate since such statistics were first recorded in Ligue 1, some 18 years ago.
Furthermore, Metz conceded 30 first-half goals in 34 games, including no fewer than 14 during the first 15 minutes, which should bolster Saint-Etienne's hopes of getting off to a fast start.
Boloni's boys had, however, scored in 11 successive matches before being shut out by PSG, and with in-form striker Georges Mikautadze on hand, they will expect to put themselves in a position to finish the job back at Stade Saint-Symphorien on Sunday.
After a late stumble saw them miss out to Angers for automatic promotion, Saint-Etienne finished third in the final Ligue 2 table, earning themselves direct entry into the second-tier playoff final.
Hosting Rodez AF last Friday, Les Verts went in front on 64 minutes, via Irvin Cardona's near-post header; after another tense half-hour, substitute striker Nathanael Mbuku wrapped matters up with a cool finish.
Currently the subject of a takeover bid, Saint-Etienne have already improved on last term's eighth-placed finish, which saw them fail to earn promotion back to Ligue 1 at the first attempt, and will now try to give their potential new owners a higher platform to build on.
Ahead of Thursday's first leg, the Loire club have only lost five times and conceded 14 goals in home fixtures this season, so head coach Olivier Dall'Oglio can be confident of earning a lead to take into Sunday's decider.
Saint-Etienne most recently met Metz in Ligue 2 last season, when Les Grenats won both matches en route to promotion, but their opponents have much more to lose on this occasion.
Metz
Metz only survived automatic demotion from Ligue 1 by the narrowest of margins, as Lorient were relegated despite winning 5-0 on the final day and Laszlo Boloni's side stayed afloat due to a slightly superior head-to-head record.
Having scraped into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth, Les Grenats will now aim to halt a four-game losing streak and make the most of their second chance.
They followed a last-gasp defeat to Strasbourg with a 2-0 loss to champions Paris Saint-Germain on the last day of the 2023-24 campaign, ultimately finishing 16th on their top-flight return.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Les Grenats had only a 24% share of the ball against PSG - their lowest rate all year - but that matched a trend of struggling to impose themselves: ending the season with an average possession of 35%, they posted the worst rate since such statistics were first recorded in Ligue 1, some 18 years ago.
Furthermore, Metz conceded 30 first-half goals in 34 games, including no fewer than 14 during the first 15 minutes, which should bolster Saint-Etienne's hopes of getting off to a fast start.
Boloni's boys had, however, scored in 11 successive matches before being shut out by PSG, and with in-form striker Georges Mikautadze on hand, they will expect to put themselves in a position to finish the job back at Stade Saint-Symphorien on Sunday.
If you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on
this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so.It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly.Covers does not provide
any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in
your relevant locality.Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it.As a condition of using this website, you agree to hold the owner
of this website harmless from any claims arising from your use of any services on any third party website that may be featured by Covers.
Hot Forum Topics
