Rodez edges out Red Star in thrilling Ligue 2 playoff thriller

In a rollercoaster Ligue 2 playoff clash at Bauer Stadium, Rodez secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Red Star, overcoming two early deficits to keep their promotion hopes alive. The Ruthénois will now face Saint-Étienne at Geoffroy-Guichard in the next round, continuing their quest for a historic Ligue 1 breakthrough.

match summary

Red Star 2-3 Rodez

• Goals: Cabral (15′), Escartin (61′) for Red Star // Baldé (29′), Magnin (67′), Younoussa (69′) for Rodez
• Red card: Haag (90’+5) for Red Star

a match packed with drama and twists

The Red Star started brightly, with Kevin Cabral opening the scoring after a perfectly placed header from Damien Durand’s cross, beating Quentin Braat in the Red Star goal (0-1, 15′). Rodez quickly responded through Ibrahima Baldé, who equalized after a physical battle in the box (1-1, 29′).

Red Star regained the lead through Josué Escartin, who slotted home after a clever flick-on from Cabral (2-1, 61′). But Rodez refused to yield, with Mathis Magnin scoring a stunning volley from a corner to level the scores (2-2, 67′).

The decisive moment came when Wilitty Younoussa capitalized on a defensive error to score Rodez’s third goal (2-3, 69′), sparking wild celebrations among the away fans. The Red Star nearly salvaged a draw in stoppage time, but Giovanni Haag was sent off for dissent, leaving his team to finish the match with ten men.

rodez’s unbeaten run continues

Rodez’s impressive form continued with this victory, marking their first loss-free streak in Ligue 2 since November. Their next challenge awaits at Geoffroy-Guichard against Saint-Étienne, a clash set to ignite the passionate atmosphere of the stadium.

lineups

Red Star (5-3-2):

• Poussin – Sylla (Magnin, 75′), Durivaux, Escartin, Huard (Haag, 62′), Durand
• Danger, Pierret, Hachem (Ba, 75′) – Cabral (Khaoui, 75′), Ikanga (Benali, 62′)
• Manager: Grégory Poirier

Rodez (3-5-2):

• Braat – Galves, Laurent, Magnin, Lipinski, Jean-Lambert (Ponti, 66′)
• Mendes (Benchamma, 90’+2), Trouillet (Saka, 86′), Joly (Younoussa, 66′) – Baldé (Nagera, 86′), Arconte
• Manager: Didier Santini

Next up: Saint-Étienne awaits Rodez in a high-stakes showdown at Geoffroy-Guichard.