Bordeaux beaten in Marseille [3-1]

When Josh Maja picked up a consolation goal in the 83rd minute, the Girondins got a glimpse of what might have been. But no, Bordeaux left Marseille with nothing to show for their efforts. Things certainly didn’t get off to a good start for Bordeaux! Thauvin put the hosts in the 5th minute with a superb shot, curling its way implacably into the top corner (1-0). The Girondins were throwing themselves wholeheartedly into the search for an equaliser when referee Mr. Schneider awarded a penalty against Youssouf Sabaly for a foul on Amavi. Never fear, Benoît Costil had it covered! The keeper pulled off a superb save to deny Thauvin a second (14’). Two minutes later, newcomer Hatem Ben Arfa scored with his left foot… only to see the linesman’s flag go up.

Toma Basic led the Bordeaux fight-back, with a powerful shot which Mandanda did well to block (24’). On the half-hour mark, Benoît Costil produced another fine save to frustrate Thauvin (30’). At half time, the one goal deficit looked well with reach. But the game began to slip away from the Girondins early in the second period. Amavi scored with a lobbing header (54’, 2-0), and ten minutes later Pablo inadvertently contributed to Marseille’s third goal with a fluffed attempt to clear Thauvin’s shot (64’, 3-0). Suddenly the game looked to be definitively beyond Bordeaux.

Benoît Costil produced yet another spectacular save to stop Benedetto from making it four (66’). The Girondins seemed to have run out of steam, although Toma Basic did test Mandanda (72’) with a well-struck free kick. Josh Maja’s late consolation changed nothing (83’, 3-1). Bordeaux left the eerie silence of locked-down Marseille empty-handed.