A high-rolling victory

Three days after their 0-0 draw in Gent, the Girondins welcomed AS Monaco to the Matmut ATLANTIQUE. Ligue 1 champions in 2017 and runners-up in 2018, the Monégasques nonetheless struggled to deal with the early Bordeaux pressure. The Girondins dominated the first twenty minutes, but neither side created any meaningful chances. It only took a minute for all that to change. With 24 minutes on the clock, Rony Lopes charged towards the Girondins' goal and forced a superb save from Benoit Costil. From the ensuing corner, Bordeaux retrieved the ball and set off on the counter. Samuel Kalu pulled off a stunning 60 metre solo run which ended with him ricocheting the ball off the left post of Diego Benaglio. Bordeaux followed up that attack with a series of shots on goal, all stopped by Benaglio. Back at the other end of the field, Monaco came within millimetres of opening the score when Tielemans' shot scraped off the outside of the post (38’). But the game really got going in the second half, when Samuel Kalu was pulled down just inside the penalty area in the 47th minute. Referee Clément Turpin pointed to the spot, François Kamano did the honours and Bordeaux found themselves 1-0 up (48’). The chances came thick and fast after that, with both sides looking to take control of this game. François Kamano almost doubled the lead, but Diego Benaglio just managed to stop the ball with his foot (54’). Meanwhile the ever-present Rony Lopes continued to test Benoit Costil. The Girondins were working hard to make their advantage count, but Monaco soon caught them out. Substitute Pellegri nicked the ball off Jules Koundé in midfield and got the better of Benoit Costil with a fantastic shot into the top corner 1-1 (64’). It was back to square one for the Girondins, but they never let their heads go down and kept on pushing forward. This was turning into a real battle, with both sides giving as good as they got. Falcao and Rony Lopes both drew fine saves from Benoit Costil (74’, 75’), while Bordeaux would have took back the lead were it not for a sensational stop from Diego Benaglio to deny Younousse Sankharé. In the 85th minute, the 21,690 fans packed into the Matmut ATLANTIQUE thought their moment had come when the referee awarded Bordeaux a second penalty. But they were writing off Benaglio too soon: the Swiss keeper went the right way to block Samuel Kalu's shot. The last few minutes were frenzied, with Jules Koundé making a decisive tackle inside the six yard box on the stroke of 90 minutes, keeping Bordeaux in the game Despite all of the chances for both sides, it looked like this game was heading for a draw... Until the man of the hour popped up once again: François Kamano. In the dying seconds of injury time, the striker finally got the better of Diego Benaglio and sent the home fans wild (2-1, 93'). His goal capped off a wonderful collective movement featuring a pinpoint cross from Maxime Poundjé and a perfect lay-off from Younousse Sankharé. The Girondins showed exactly what they are capable of against top class opposition, now let's hope for a similar performance this Thursday against KAA Gent!