Bordeaux caught out by Reims [1-3]

From the opening seconds of this game, it was clear that the visitors meant business. Reims striker Boulaye Dia connected with a well-placed long ball, and it took some superb backtracking from Paul Baysse to stop him from getting a shot away. Bordeaux then managed to hold onto the ball for a spell, testing the Reims defence. In the 10th minute, Mehdi Zerkane laid the ball off for Loris Benito on the left wing, whose cross found Rémi Oudin waiting in the middle. Unfortunately for the Girondins, Rémi's shot was blocked.  A few minutes later, Reims scored their first goal from a corner. Abdelhamid rose above the crowd to head home, leaving Benoît Costil rooted to the spot. Despite some good spells of possession for Bordeaux, Reims were the more efficient of the two teams in terms of attacking threat. Barely three minutes later,  Reims definitively seized control of the game when Boulaye Dia pounced on a ball parried by Benoît Costil. Bordeaux were 2-0 down before half time. The Girondins were by now struggling to get near the Reims goal, running up against a compact and disciplined defensive wall. The first half had been a balanced affair in terms of possession and chances, but it was Stade de Reims who made those chances count.

Girondins head coach Jean-Louis Gasset made two changes early in the second half, bringing on Maxime Poundjé for Loris Benito and Josh Maja for Mehdi Zerkane. Bordeauxlooked brighter after the break, and Hwang Ui-Jo tried his luck from the edge of the box... but the Reims keeper had it covered.  In the 52nd minute, the Girondins won a free kick in a promising position 30 yards from goal on the right-hand side. Hatem Ben Arfa stepped up, and forced an acrobatic save from the keeper. Hwang Ui-Jo pounced on the rebound and fired off a snap shot, which unfortunately flew wide of the mark. Bordeaux were dominating proceedings, but were still no closer to scoring.

With 66 minutes on the clock, Maxime Poundjé surged forward and laid off the ball for Hatem Ben Arfa. The number 8 floated in a cross for Josh Maja at the back post, but the Reims defence prevented him from getting a shot away. The Girondins had now set up camp in Reims' half of the pitch, and were beginning to look more dangerous. That domination finally bore fruit in the 73rd minute. Hatem Ben Arfa burst through the Reims defence and provided an absolutely perfect ball for Hwang Ui-Jo inside the box, which the striker duly slammed home with an excellent drive. Bordeaux were beginning to hope, as they continued to dominate possession and create more chances. Hatem Ben Arfa was on particularly creative form, pulling off a wonderful backheel inside the box to set up Josh Maja. Maja went down under pressure, but the referee refused the penalty. 

Jean-Louis Gasset made further changes in the 81st minute, with Amadou Traoré coming on for Rémi Oudin and Hwang Ui-Jo making way for Dilane Bakwa. But the Girondins' hopes were soon crushed when Reims scored a third goal, landing a knock-out blow with only minutes left to play. Munetsi pounced on a stray pass at the edge of the box, firing off a shot which took a deflection off Maxime Poundjé and slipped past Benoît Costil.  In one last moment of note, the young Tom Lacoux came on in the 90th minute to make his professional debut, replacing Yacine Adli.  A frustrating way to bow out before the Christmas break, despite a solid performance from Jean-Louis Gasset's men in the second half. On the night, Stade de Reims were just more clinical when it came to making their chances count.