Rodez beat Paris Football Club (PFC) at home after a memorable penalty shootout (2-2, 3 a-b to 2), Tuesday May 21, in the Ligue 2 pre-playoffs for accession to the elite. The Ruthenois, who had missed their first three shots on goal after being caught by their opponents at the end of regulation time, won the right to face AS Saint-Etienne on Friday in the final of the playoffs. The winner of this confrontation will face Metz, 16th in Ligue 1, in a two-way match (May 20 and June 2).
The pill is bitter for the PFC, for which this is the fifth playoff or promotion match played and lost since 2017.
After twenty-five years in the 3rd division, Rodez Aveyron Football returned to Ligue 2 in 2019 and remained there each season with difficulty.
Last season, it was even the Professional Football League (LFP) which allowed the club to stay there: 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 thus escaped at the last minute.
Parisians reduced to ten
Tuesday, 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). Then 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 from 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 (90th 7) to offer the penalty shootout at PFC.
This session started like a dream for the Parisians: two saves from goalkeeper Obed Nkambadio and an off-target strike from Giovanni Haag put them on track (2-0). But they in turn missed three shots, repeated failures that Rodez did not let go.