Ligue 1 has ended with a massive win for Paris Saint-Germain, as they bagged the Ligue 1 title. As the top teams secured European qualification spots, the bottom two teams have been mathematically relegated. However, the 16th seed still has a chance to stay in the Ligue 1 through the Relegation Playoff. Nantes and Metz have been relegated to Ligue 2, while Troyes and Le Mans got promoted to Ligue 1. Meanwhile, OGC Nice and Saint-Étienne are struggling for a place in Ligue 1. Nice, having played the 2025-26 season with poor form, have finished the season in 16th position. On the other side, AS Saint-Étienne finished in 3rd position in the Ligue 2 standings. Consequently, AS Saint-Étienne and OGC Nice face each other in the Ligue 1 Relegation Playoffs. Let’s look at the preview of the upcoming Leg 2 of the playoffs.
Time: 12:15 AM IST (Next Day) | 02:45 PM ET | 11:45 AM PT
Venue: Allianz Riviera
Streaming Options: beIN Sports, Fubo, and the official Ligue 1 OTT.
How Ligue 1 Relegation Works?
Ligue 1 uses a mix of automatic relegation and a two-legged playoff to determine relegation. Usually, the last two seeds in the standings get automatically relegated if they are mathematically beyond reaching the safe zone. Likewise, the first two seeds in the Ligue 2 automatically get promoted to Ligue 1. Besides, the 16th seed in Ligue 1 and the 3rd seed in Ligue 2 are featured in a two-legged clash. This is called the Ligue 1 Relegation Playoffs. These two-legged playoffs decide which team gets to the top flight. Either the 3rd seed from Ligue 2 or the 16th seed from Ligue 1 will qualify for the 2026-27 season. Currently, OGC Nice and AS Saint-Étienne are fighting for the Ligue 1 spot. The first leg has already finished with a 0-0 draw as both sides failed to score. So, the second leg will be very close and intense.
Relegated Teams from Ligue 1
FC Nantes suffered its first relegation in 13 years to the second division. They have gone through a disastrous season, winning only 5 games, drawing 8, and losing 20. Their inability to score throughout the season left them with the bottom-three seeds. They were underwhelming in crucial games, often losing matches without goals. Mainly, their draws against Metz and Auxerre were the crucial setbacks that kept them in the relegation zone. Ultimately, they failed to earn enough points to move to the safe zone. Similarly, FC Metz struggled with a below-average season. Their performance was even worse than Nantes, as Metz had only three wins. They fumbled multiple chances to win and drew 8 games. They often lost without goals, staying very low in the standings for a long time. Eventually, Metz finished the season with a 3-8-23 record and got relegated.
Promoted Teams from Ligue 2
ES Troyes AC ultimately returned to Ligue 1 after winning the automatic promotion spot. They scored 6 goals throughout the season and had a +27 goal differential to earn this spot. With forward Tawfik Bentayeb, the club netted a substantial number of goals. Additionally, midfielder Merwan Ifnaoui made crucial contributions, consistently propelling the team towards victory. One of their notable wins was against their promotion rivals Saint-Étienne. They beat Saint-Étienne 3-0 at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. Consequently, they moved to the Ligue 1 with a tremendous record. On the other hand, Le Mans FC got promoted to the Ligue 1 alongside Troyes. They won 16 games, with 14 draws and 4 losses. Trailing just behind Troyes, Le Mans stacked enough points for automatic promotion. They won the 2nd spot narrowly against Saint-Étienne, who were only two points behind. As both teams were promoted to Ligue 1, fans have high expectations for them.
Ligue 1 Relegation Playoff – Leg 1 Highlights
The first leg of the Ligue 1 Relegation Playoffs went so close and ended in a dramatic draw, 0-0. Saint-Étienne failed to capitalize on their home advantage and risks a loss at Allianz Riviera. Nice pushed too hard with their attacking front, but they weren’t able to find the net. Although they got dominated at home, Saint-Étienne made more quality shots. Yet, Nice nullified Saint-Étienne’s shots and kept their chances narrow. Consequently, the game ended in a 0-0 draw, leaving the Ligue 1 Relegation Playoff leg 2 more intriguing.
Ligue 1 Relegation Playoff Leg 2 Preview
Teams: Nice vs Saint-Étienne
Date: 29 May 2026 (Friday)
Time: 12:15 AM IST (Next Day) | 02:45 PM ET | 11:45 AM PT
Venue: Allianz Riviera
Expected Lineup for Nice
Goalkeeper
Diouf
Right Center-Back
Mendy
Centre-Back
Bah
Left Center-Back
Oppong
Right Wing-Back
Clauss
Central Midfielder
Sanson
Central Midfielder
Boudaoui
Left Wing-Back
Abdi
Attacking Midfielder
Cho
Attacking Midfielder
Diop
Striker
Carlos
Expected Lineup for Saint-Étienne
Goalkeeper
Larsonneur
Right-Back
Pedro
Centre-Back
Le Cardinal
Centre-Back
Bernauer
Left-Back
Appiah
Defensive Midfielder
Gadegbeku
Defensive Midfielder
Kante
Right Winger
Moueffek
Attacking Midfielder
Davitashvili
Left Winger
Boakye
Striker
Stassin
Nice vs Saint-Étienne Prediction
Nice will host the upcoming Ligue 1 Relegation Playoff leg 2, welcoming Saint-Étienne at Allianz Riviera. The first leg draw has left this game highly unpredictable and suspenseful. Nice has fallen far from being a top-10 team to a relegation-battling squad. They remain winless for their last six games across all competitions. Failing to even score in two of those games. They were unbeaten at Allianz Riviera, but they didn’t have a major win either. Regarding H2H against Saint-Étienne, Nice have won their last three home games. Similarly, Saint-Étienne is on the verge of entering Ligue 1. They have lost their last two games in Ligue 2, failing to acquire automatic promotion. Compared to Nice, Saint-Étienne has less European exposure and depth. In addition, their home advantage against Saint-Étienne is a strong factor. So, Nice is the favorite to win in this Ligue 1 Relegation Playoff clash.