Ligue 2 BKT: Saint-Étienne win on Montanier debut as Troyes suffer third straight defeat

Saint-Étienne made a winning start under new head coach Philippe Montanier on Saturday, edging past Montpellier 1-0 on matchday 22 of Ligue 2, while leaders Troyes slipped to a third consecutive league defeat, losing 2-1 at Nancy.

At the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, the decisive moment came in the 77th minute when Julien Le Cardinal produced a fine volley to give Les Verts all three points. The victory brings Saint-Étienne back into the promotion picture, lifting them to fourth place on 37 points, just two points behind the automatic promotion spots, after back-to-back defeats prior to Montanier’s arrival.

Crucially, Saint-Étienne were the only side in the top five to win this weekend, taking full advantage of setbacks suffered by their closest rivals.

Watch: Ligue 2 BKT highlights

Troyes’ cushion shrinking

Earlier in the day, Troyes were beaten 2-1 by Nancy at the Stade Marcel-Picot, extending their poor run to three straight defeats in Ligue 2. Despite remaining top of the table, ESTAC’s lead has been cut to just two points over Reims and Le Mans.

Nancy struck early through Justin Bourgault in the eighth minute before Troyes responded with an equaliser from Tawfik Bentayeb, his tenth goal of the league season, just past the half-hour mark. However, Adrian Dabasse restored the home side’s advantage from the penalty spot in the 69th minute, allowing Nancy to move up to 13th and further clear of the relegation zone.

Le Mans, another promotion contender, failed to capitalise on Troyes’ slip-up, being held to a 1-1 draw at home by Laval. Mamadou Camara converted a penalty for the visitors shortly after the hour mark before Lucas Buades quickly replied to secure a point for the hosts, who extended their unbeaten league run to 17 matches.

Tawfik Bentayeb monte sur le podium des meilleurs buteurs ! 🥈 pic.twitter.com/qrReMQVVO8
— Ligue 2 BKT (@Ligue2BKT) February 10, 2026

Reims stall, Red Star punished

On Friday evening, Reims missed the chance to temporarily go top after being held to a goalless draw by bottom side Bastia at the Stade Auguste-Delaune. Despite dominating proceedings, the Champagne side lacked cutting edge, while the point could prove valuable for Bastia in their fight for survival.

The shock of the night came at Stade Bauer, where Red Star were heavily beaten 3-0 by Pau. A second-half penalty converted by Julien Anziani set the tone for a disastrous spell for the hosts, with Pau adding two more goals late on to move up to seventh place. Red Star, meanwhile, remain on 37 points and have now gone three matches without a win.

Elsewhere, Dunkerque were held to a 0-0 draw by Guingamp, Rodez claimed a 2-1 away win at Boulogne thanks to a brace from Taïyrik Arconte, and Annecy and Grenoble shared the points in a 1-1 draw.