With Nantes and Metz already relegated, the focus shifted to the 16th-place finishers who would face the playoff challenge. Nice, sitting in that precarious position before the final day, failed to escape it after a lackluster 0-0 draw against Metz at the Allianz Riviera.

The Aiglons, 16th with 31 points, needed a win to avoid the playoff but were held to a frustrating stalemate. A pitch invasion by disgruntled supporters followed the final whistle, compounding the disappointment. Nice will now compete for survival against Saint-Étienne in a two-legged playoff, with the first leg in Saint-Étienne and the return at home.

Heroic performances secure Le Havre and Auxerre

While Nice stumbled, Auxerre and Le Havre delivered strong results to secure their Ligue 1 status. The Auxerre side, managed by Christophe Pelissier, produced a remarkable display away at Lille, winning 2-0. Lassine Sinayoko was the standout performer, scoring twice in the 32nd and 90th minutes to secure the victory.

Simultaneously, Le Havre clinched their top-flight survival with a 2-0 victory at Lorient. Abdoulaye Faye scored an own goal for Lorient in the 33rd minute, followed by Issa Soumaré’s strike in the 62nd minute. The match was further marked by Lorient’s missed penalty from Bamba Dieng in the 45th+5 minute.

These results ensured that both Le Havre and Auxerre finished higher than Nice, securing their places in Ligue 1 for the next season.