The lights were full and Saint-Étienne answered the pressure. After Red Star had briefly moved top of Ligue 2 with a 3-2 win at Clermont earlier on Saturday, Les Verts reclaimed first place by beating Rodez 2-0 in front of another packed home crowd.
It was Saint-Étienne’s sixth league victory of the campaign and the second sell-out at the stadium this season. Jakob Breum set the rhythm, providing both assists as the hosts struck once in each half, although goalkeeper Gautier Larsonneur was equally decisive when Rodez threatened a comeback.
Thierno Ballo had already wasted a major chance in the fifth minute, but the forward responded well. Breum found him again 10 minutes later and Ballo placed a right-footed finish beyond the Rodez goalkeeper to give the home side the lead.
Saint-Étienne did not always make the most of their attacking positions after that, but their second goal was one to remember. In the 55th minute, Augustine Boakye lifted the ball over Rodez captain Raphaël Lipinski with a sombrero before striking it cleanly with his right foot before it reached the turf.
Larsonneur keeps Rodez out
Rodez had opportunities either side of Boakye’s moment of quality. Larsonneur pushed Ryan Ponti’s close-range header onto the crossbar in the 51st minute, then denied Kelian Nsona from close range in the 69th. Antonin Cartillier also hit the post two minutes later as Rodez continued to search for a way back.
The Saint-Étienne goalkeeper was injured during a defensive action involving Kévin Pedro in the 82nd minute and had to make way six minutes from time. Young replacement Mamour Ndiaye was tested in stoppage time, but gathered Octave Joly’s headed effort at the second attempt on his line to protect the clean sheet.
With the win, Saint-Étienne moved back above Red Star at the summit after a night in which Breum’s creativity, Boakye’s spectacular finish and two goalkeepers’ late resistance kept the promotion race moving in green.
