Saint-Etienne's bid to return to Ligue 1 hit stalemate on Tuesday as they drew 0-0 with Nice in the first leg of their playoff final at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
Saint-Etienne, who have been French champions 10 times in their history, are bidding for a quick return to the top flight after being relegated last season.
With Nantes and Metz relegated automatically from Lige 1, Nice finished 16th to go into the playoff.
Beaten by Lens in the French cup final last week, Nice will attempt to preserve their top-flight status on Friday in the return leg at the Allianz Riviera, which will be played behind closed doors due to incidents caused by Nice supporters.