Long before Paris Saint Germain, Lyon and even Marseille, there was Saint Etienne. One of the biggest French clubs, a ten-time champion of the country and the Champions Cup finalist from 1976, has returned to the elite after two years of stagnation in Ligue 2. ‘The Greens’ from Geoffroy-Guichard are more needed in Ligue 1 than Metz, due to their history, importance for French football and fantastic support. The atmosphere at the Saint-Étienne stadium is a special experience, not to mention that this is a club with a serious fan base that could easily return to its former glory if it managed to operate successfully and stabilize financially for just a few years.Re la Ligue 1. ON REVIIIIIIIIIIENT ! 💚 pic.twitter.com/EreCcpMgAz— AS Saint-Étienne (@ASSEofficiel) June 2, 2024 In the first match at Geoffroy-Guichard, it was 2-1. The same scoreline was in effect from the 35th minute in remach; the home team led 2-0 with goals from Mamadou Camara and Georges Mikautadze from the penalty spot, before Léo Pétrot reduced the deficit. It seemed that a penalty shootout would decide the winner, but three minutes before the end of extra time, after an excellent play, substitute Ibrahim Wadji put the ball behind Metz’s goalkeeper and brought indescribable joy to the visitors – 2-2.For almost two months, Metz hasn’t beaten anyone, and from that perspective, they deservedly move to a lower division. Saint-Étienne played the entire playoff very maturely and is returning to where they belong. To be fair, it should be mentioned that the home team played with one less player from the 5th minute, as Pape Amadou Diallo was careless, going studs-up on Denis Appiah, catching him on the thigh. After reviewing the footage, the referee decided to send him off and that was the beginning of the end for Metz. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8136659##
