Bordeaux thrash Soyaux (4-1)

The opening exchanges turned into a hard-fought battle for midfield dominance, with Soyaux's high-pressure style giving Sarah Cambot an early chance to test the keeper. The ex-Girondine's shot was just over the bar (5’). Bordeaux soon responded in kind, with Claire Lavogez firing in a powerful shot which Munich pushed out for a corner (6’). A few minutes later, capping off a flowing, triangular movement, Ouleymata Sarr teed up Ghoutia Karchouni for the opener (1-0 ; 10’). Things settled down and both sides enjoyed spells of possession, but it was Soyaux who made it count. Collecting the ball on the right wing, Cambot shielded it well to slip past her marker and beat Erin Nayler from close range (1-1 ; 16’). Soyaux were back on level terms, and the Girondines needed to find an answer. Cheered on by the home crowd in spite of the driving rain, Bordeaux soon seized possession and began pushing forward. Vanessa Gilles missed the target by a matter of centimetres (29’) and Claire Lavoguez had not one but two shots on target stopped by the visitors' keeper (37’ ; 44’). The teams were still level at the break (1-1). The second half picked up where the first had left off, with Soyaux pressing hard and attempting to stifle Bordeaux. Bourgouin's shot looked bound for the top corner but Nayler produced an excellent diving save to keep the scores level (50’). The terrible weather did nothing to help either side. A long ball in the direction of Khadija Shaw looked to be perfect, but the slippery surface made it impossible to catch. Shaw lost her footing and collided with Munich, who limped off as a result (55’). As the tension mounted tempers began to fray and the cards began to fly: Couturier (53’) and Clerac (62’) saw yellow for Soyaux, before Bordeaux's Charlotte Bilbault (66’) and Estelle Cascarino (74’) joined them in the referee's notebook. The visitors dug deep, with both Andrea Lardez (72’) and Vanessa Gilles (76’) coming close. Pedro Martinez Losa decided to shake things up a little in attack by bringing on Emelyne Laurent (67’), and that choice soon paid off. The Girondines looked to be hitting their stride just as Soyaux succumbed to the first signs of fatigue. Viviane Asseyi charged free down the right and fired off a shot which looked like a cross until it ended up in the back of the net (2-1 ; 73’). Claire Lavogez, a constant threat throughout this match, saw yet another shot hit the woodwork (79’) before finally getting the goal she deserved (3-1 ; 82’). Kathellen Sousa, another late sub (90’), delivered a perfect cross for Khadija Shaw to finally put the game beyond Soyaux (4-1 ; 90+1’). The Girondines dug deep to record their first ever win over Soyaux.