Stalemate in the Atlantic Derby [1-1]

All the ingredients were in place for a great game of football at the Matmut ATLANTIQUE this afternoon: a packed stadium, the sun shining down, and a 140th birthday party in full swing. Motivated and well-drilled, the Girondins came out of the blocks raring to go. After some promising link-up play on the flanks, it was Hwang Ui-Jo who fired off the first shot. Teed up by Javairô Dilrosun, his slanting effort beat Nantes keeper Lafont only to ricochet off the bar (17’).

Nantes responded by means of the irrepressible Kolo Muani, who sliced through the Bordeaux defence on three occasions in quick succession (23’, 34’ and 42’). Blas also came close, but was stopped short by the imperious Koscielny (32’) and an equally implacable Costil (38’). Back at the other end, a strike from Abdel-Jalil Medioub gave Nantes a scare (19’) but the score board remained resolutely empty at the break. The second half started in much the same way as the first, with Bordeaux pushing forward and Ricardo Mangas trying his luck (46’ and 48’). The break finally came just after the hour mark. First Nantes had a goal disallowed for offside, then Bordeaux launched into a lightning counter-attack. Hwang Ui-Jo latched onto a pass from Javairô Dilrosun, cut inside on his left foot and smashed the ball past Alban Lafont and into the top corner (1-0, 62’). Ui-Jo's 4th goal of the season, and what a beauty it was.

The stadium was bouncing, cheering on the Girondins for a birthday victory. But that enthusiasm was brutally extinguished by Chirivella after ten minutes of hope. The Nantes midfielder equalised from a Corchia cross, with Kolo Muani again instrumental in the build-up (1-1, 75’). Both teams pushed hard to find a late winner, with chances at both ends. Simon (61’, 83’) and Blas (66’) had a go for the visitors, with Alberth Elis (72’) and Hwang Ui-Jo (64’) responding for Bordeaux. The last chance of the afternoon fell to Nantes, with Sébastien Corchia hitting the crossbar (86’). One goal apiece, and one off the woodwork too.

Bordeaux ended up with a well-deserved point from this Atlantic Derby, and Vladimir Petkovic's side will already be looking forward to next weekend's visit to Lorient.