Ligue 2 BKT: The race for promotion to Ligue 1 blown wide open

With just nine points left on the table, the Ligue 2 promotion race has taken another dramatic twist after Matchday 31.

Relegation battlers turned contenders, ESTAC Troyes steadied themselves at the top with a return to winning ways (61 points), but the big story came elsewhere. AS Saint-Étienne fell to a costly 2-0 defeat away at SC Bastia, allowing Le Mans FC to draw level on 57 points.

Saint-Étienne hanging on

Despite being caught, Saint-Étienne still occupy second place thanks to a superior goal difference (+20 vs +17).

However, the margin is razor-thin. Should Le Mans overturn that deficit by the final day, the next tie-breaker would come into play — head-to-head results, which favour the Sarthois.

Le Mans claimed a 3-2 win at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard before securing a 0-0 draw at home, giving them the edge if required.

Form guide: Le Mans are surging at the right time, with five wins in their last six matches and an eight-game unbeaten run.

A defining clash at Geoffroy-Guichard

Saint-Étienne’s nine-match unbeaten streak came to an abrupt halt in Corsica — and their next test could define their season.

They host leaders ESTAC Troyes in a high-stakes encounter this weekend.

• Win: Saint-Étienne move within one point of the summit with two games remaining
• Defeat: They risk dropping out of the automatic promotion spot, with Le Mans travelling to face Grenoble Foot 38

Three teams battling for two play-off spots

Just below, the race for the play-offs is equally intense.

Stade de Reims climbed back into 4th place after a 3-2 win over Red Star FC, joining them and Rodez AF on 51 points.

Three teams, two spots — and almost nothing to separate them.

Reims hold a crucial advantage with a far superior goal difference (+16) compared to Red Star (+5) and Rodez (+4), meaning they largely control their own destiny.

Matchday 33 could be decisive

The next round of fixtures could prove pivotal:

• Le Mans vs Reims
• Rodez vs Saint-Étienne

Any slip-up here could reshape the entire top-six picture.

Edge for Rodez in the fight for 5th

If the three sides remain level through to the end of the season, the battle for 5th could go deep into the tie-breakers.

With identical head-to-head records between Red Star and Rodez (1-1, 1-1), the standings could be decided by goals scored — where Rodez currently hold a slight advantage.

READ MORE:

>> Ligue 2 BKT: ASSE Stumble as Bastia revive survival hopes