St Etienne and Nice battle in crucial Ligue 1 play-off opener

The atmosphere at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is electric as St Etienne takes on Nice in the first leg of the Ligue 1 / Ligue 2 promotion-relegation play-offs. This pivotal third-round encounter, held on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, sees both clubs fighting for their place in the top flight of French football.

Early tactical battle and injury setback

The match commenced under the direction of referee Benoît Bastien. However, the visitors from Nice faced an early challenge when Hicham Boudaoui suffered an injury just eleven minutes into the game. Claude Puel was forced to make a quick substitution, bringing on Casper Vanhoutte to reinforce the midfield. Despite the early disruption, the scoreline remains locked at 0-0 as the first half progresses.

0 – 0

Starting lineups and formations

Philippe Montanier has set up his St Etienne squad in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Gautier Larsonneur leads the team as captain between the posts. The defensive line consists of Julien Le Cardinal, Dennis Appiah, Maxime Bernauer, and Kévin Pedro. In the heart of the pitch, Zuriko Davitashvili and Abdoulaye Kanté are tasked with controlling the tempo, while Augustine Boakye, Irvin Cardona, and Luan Gadegbeku support the lone striker, Lucas Stassin.

On the opposing bench, Claude Puel also opted for a 4-2-3-1 system for Nice. Yehvann Diouf started in goal, protected by Kwadwo Peprah Oppong, Melvin Bard, Joël Bah, and Antoine Mendy. The midfield is anchored by captain Morgan Sanson and Sofiane Diop, with Jonathan Clauss and Tiago Gouveia providing width. Mohamed-Ali Cho leads the attack for the Aiglons.

Match statistics at 23 minutes

• Possession: St Etienne 46% – Nice 54%
• Shots on target: 0 – 0
• Passes completed: St Etienne 94 – Nice 110
• Duels won: St Etienne 6 – Nice 7
• Fouls committed: 1 – 1

While Nice has controlled more of the ball in these opening stages, neither side has managed to test the opposing goalkeeper with a shot on target. The physical intensity is high, reflecting the massive stakes of this play-off series. The return leg is scheduled for May 29, making a positive result here at Geoffroy-Guichard essential for both clubs.