Unbreathable. Rodez, on his lawn, beat Paris FC after a penalty shootout (2-2, 3 tab to 2) Tuesday in the Ligue 2 pre-play-offs for accession to the elite. The Ruthenois, who had missed their first three shots on goal after being caught at the end of regulation time, won the right to face Saint-Etienne on Friday in the play-off final. The winner will face Metz, 16th in Ligue 1, in a two-way match (May 20, June 2).
The pill is bitter for the PFC, for which this is the 5th play-off or promotion match played… and lost since 2017. After 25 years in the 3rd division, Rodez Aveyron Football returned to Ligue 2 in 2019 and maintained it each season with difficulty. Last season, it was even the Professional Football League (LFP) which allowed the club to remain in L2: during the final day of the championship, the match between Bordeaux and Rodez was stopped after an attack by a Girondin supporter of a Ruthenian player. The LFP gave victory on the green carpet to Rodez who escaped at the last minute.
The Parisians opened the scoring in the 4th minute through Nouha Dicko but the Ruthenois very quickly regained control of the game, equalizing on a penalty by their captain Bradley Danger (8th). And on a long clearance from goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen, striker Killian Corredor worsened the score with a heavy strike from the right (33rd).
Reduced to ten in the 47th minute after a second warning to defender Mamadou Mbow, the Parisians suffered but fought until the end of regulation time, and from a corner, Kouadio-Yves Dabila equalized from close range (90+7) to offer the penalty shootout at PFC. And this session started like a dream: two saves from goalkeeper Obed Nkambadio and an off-target strike from Giovanni Haag put the Parisians on track (2-0). But they in turn missed three shots, opportunities
