A fair draw (1-1)

A cool wind whistled through the pillars of the Matmut Atlantique this afternoon, as if to symbolise the change under way. A fresh start embodied in Paulo Sousa's first Bordeaux team sheet: a 3-4-3. Right from the outset, the Girondins pressed hard and looked to attack. But concrete chances were few and far between in the first half - with notable exceptions including Jimmy Briand's effort (11’) and a header from François Kamano (20’) - but Sousa's side had clearly been encouraged to play down both wings as much as possible. The game opened up in the second half, with both teams taking more risks and the counter-attacks starting to pile up. In the 59th minute, François Kamano connected with a cross from Nicolas De Préville to put the Girondins into the lead. The game continued at the same breathless pace, and within no more than a minute Rennes thought they had equalised courtesy of Niang (60’)... but the flag was up for offside. The game now settled into a new pattern, with Rennes attacking and Bordeaux looking to strike on the counter. The Girondins came so close to victory, but looked visibly tired by their efforts. From one last corner, Niang smashed a powerful shot past Benoît Costil from close range (90+1'). A deserved equaliser, and a fair result. After an entertaining game, Rennes and Bordeaux went away with a point each (1-1). Despite this late slip-up, Paulo Sousa's new-look Bordeaux showed plenty of promise.