Reims 1-3 Metz (2-4 agg): Stunning long-range lob clinches visitors' Ligue 1 return

Gauthier Hein netted a spectacular extra-time strike to help boyhood club Metz beat Reims 3-1 on Thursday, making amends for last year's play-off heartbreak as they secured an immediate return to Ligue 1.

Metz had been relegated from the top flight after losing in extra time to Saint-Etienne at the end of the 2023-24 season.

But the roles were reversed for the visiting second-tier side at Reims as they recovered from a goal down to advance 4-2 on aggregate, condemning their opponents to Ligue 2 just days after they had featured in the Coupe de France final.

Unlike in that one-sided defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, Reims controlled long periods of this match and appeared to have eased the tension at Stade Auguste-Delaune with a belated breakthrough just before the hour mark.

Teenager Ange Tia swept in his first professional goal after Junya Ito had controlled a pass into his path.

But substitute Mamadou Diakhon then passed up a huge opportunity to surely clinch victory, and Reims were quickly punished by Metz captain Matthieu Udol's deflected effort.

That strike levelled the tie and ensured extra time again, yet this time Metz came up with the precious goal as Hein's backheel teed up Alpha Toure to drive into the bottom-right corner.

And with Reims chasing an equaliser, goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf was caught out of position by an exquisite Hein lob from close to the halfway line to seal Metz's return to Ligue 1.

Data debrief: Play-off trend continues

Metz might have been on the wrong side of this fixture last year after finishing 16th in Ligue 1, but the form book favoured the lower-league opposition coming into this clash.

Ligue 2 teams are now unbeaten in seven play-off matches against Ligue 1 sides, including both legs of this tie and both legs when Saint-Etienne prevailed in 2024.

Meanwhile, defeat made this the worst home campaign in Reims' history, losing 10 times at home in all competitions for the first time to cap a truly miserable week in which silverware evaded them against PSG and relegation was confirmed on Thursday.

They only had themselves to blame on this occasion, having allowed Metz to enforce the additional period despite attempting only two shots worth a combined 0.1 expected goals in normal time.