AS Saint-Étienne continued their promotion push with a hard-fought 2-1 home win over Stade Lavallois MFC in Ligue 2 on February 22, 2026. The victory at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard kept Saint-Étienne in the automatic promotion spots with a crucial three points. The home side started strongly and took a deserved lead into halftime. Lavallois responded well after the break, equalizing against the run of play to silence the home crowd. Saint-Étienne, however, showed their quality and determination, restoring their lead with twenty minutes remaining and then holding on under late pressure. The win highlighted Saint-Étienne's ability to grind out results, a key trait for any team aiming for promotion from a competitive division.