A truly goalless draw unfolded in the first leg of the Ligue 1 playoff, as AS Saint-Étienne, who finished third in Ligue 2 this season, and OGC Nice, the 16th-placed team from Ligue 1, played to a 0-0 stalemate at Geoffroy-Guichard. The encounter left supporters on the edge of their seats, with everything still to be decided.

The majority of the evening’s excitement was generated in the packed Saint-Étienne stands, a cauldron of noise as fans passionately hoped to see their beloved ‘Verts’ return to France’s top flight. On the pitch, however, the action was notably subdued. A mere 11 shots were registered between both teams, with not a single one hitting the target, despite some promising moments from Clauss (25th minute), Davitashvili (58th minute), and Boakye (60th minute).

This draw ultimately benefits neither side, especially Saint-Étienne, who failed to leverage their fervent home crowd to gain a crucial psychological edge over a somewhat vulnerable Nice squad. The visitors, still reeling from their Coupe de France final defeat last Saturday and further hampered by an early injury to Bouaddi after a head collision, struggled to offer more in attack.

The decisive second leg will now take place at the Allianz Riviera this Friday, May 29. The suspense builds to a thrilling climax as we await to see if Saint-Étienne will join Troyes and Le Mans in direct promotion to Ligue 1, or if Nice can secure their survival among the elite clubs.