Bordeaux slip up in season opener [3-1]

It all started so well! Excited to get the new season underway, the Girondins attacked from the whistle. Ui-Jo Hwang created a great early chance (3'), and barely a minute later Nicolas De Préville opened the score with a fantastic free kick that richocheted in off the post (0-1, 4'). Pushing forward with a high defensive line and dominant midfield, Bordeaux looked to be in complete control of this game. Both sides displayed plenty of early season energy, as well as a certain lack of precision at times. But as time went on, Angers went from strength to strength. Driven on by a sizeable home crowd, the Angevins began to create goalscoring chances of their own. The equaliser soon came, when Pereira Lage delivered a well-judged cross for Reine-Adélaïde, unmarked at the back post. Goal (1-1, 26'). Angers were on a roll, and two more goals put them in total control of the game before half time. First came as plendid solo effort from Pereira Lage (2-1, 33'), followed by a Mangani shot which nipped in just under the bar (3-1, 44'). Bordeaux were 3-1 down at the break, and frankly it could have been worse: Angers had yet more chances to extend their lead (37', 40'). The pace slowed considerably in the second half. Angers looked to have put the game to bed with another goal from Reine-Adélaïde (57'), but his strike was ruled offside. The rest of the game was frustratingly uneventful. Neither a formation switch from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-3, nor the deployment of Toma Basic, Yassine Benrahou and Josh Maja as 2nd-half subs was enough to change the outcome of this match. Bordeaux were well beaten by an ambitious and creative Angers side. The Girondins will need to regroup rapidly if they want to take points from their first home game of the season, next weekend against Montpellier.