At Geoffroy-Guichard, the evening offered little in the way of entertainment. Saint-Étienne and Nice delivered a lackluster performance in their Ligue 1 vs Ligue 2 playoff first leg, ending in a scoreless draw. While 103 minutes of football unfolded, not a single shot on target was recorded. The two sides combined for just 0.41 xG (0.11 for the hosts, 0.30 for the visitors), the lowest total in any completed match across Ligue 1, Ligue 2, or the playoffs since the 2022-2023 season, per Opta data.

This season’s totals came close only twice: Grenoble-Bastia (0.55 xG, 0-0, September 26) and Toulouse-Strasbourg (0.56 xG, 1-0, December 6). Earlier this campaign, on December 12, 2023, Metz and Brest managed a slightly higher 0.54 xG in a 0-1 defeat for the visitors.

Saint-Étienne’s attack was particularly toothless, failing to muster a single shot on target—a feat they had managed only twice in the last two decades. The last occasions came in April 2017 against Paris Saint-Germain (0-5) and December 2024 against Marseille (0-2), both at home. Yet, defensive solidity remained a silver lining. The club’s 15 clean sheets this season place them second only to Paris Saint-Germain’s 18 in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 combined.