A spirited victory [1-0] !

The Girondins were too strong for Rennes this afternoon (1-0). The visitors were reduced to ten men in the 8th minute, and Sékou Mara scored the only goal of the game shortly afterwards (10'). Bordeaux were focused and committed throughout. They may have been outside the stadium, but the Girondins faithful cheered so loud at the final whistle that their songs echoed around the empty Matmut ATLANTIQUE. Their joy said it all! Three precious points as we continued to fight for survival in Ligue 1. There are still three games left to play, but Bordeaux's position suddenly looks a lot more reassuring.

The game had barely begun when NZonzi saw red for stamping on Sékou Mara. Two minutes later, it was Mara who fired a powerful shot past Gomis to put Bordeaux ahead (1-0). Things just seemed to go the Girondins' way today. Sékou Mara had another effort, this one a powerful header, turned away by the keeper (20'). Benoît Costil produced a fine save to protect the lead shortly before half-time (39').

Once again, the Girondins had luck on their side in the second half: Doku's menacing shot beat Benoît Costil but not the woodwork (49').Up the other end, Rémi Oudin had a shot stopped by Gomis (65') as the game began to heat up. Rennes pressed forward, but Bordeaux resisted valiantly. Rémi Oudin very nearly made it 2-0 in the final minutes of the game, but his shot was cleared off the line (88'). The four minutes of injury time felt like an eternity, as Bordeaux held on for their lives. Ultimately it was the Girondins' determination and professionalism which got them through. The final whistle was met with a mixture of joy and relief, as the players headed off to celebrate this vital victory with the fans.