Bordeaux back on track [4-0]

There are no easy games in Ligue 2... but Bordeaux made this one look pretty straightforward. The jangling nerves of the visitors helped a little, it must be said. In any case the Girondins came out firing, and in just the 7th minute Issouf Sissokho was pulled down in the Quevilly box. A clear penalty. Josh Maja did not think twice, sending the keeper the wrong way to fire Bordeaux into the lead (1-0, 7’). Just a few minutes later Quevilly were reduced to ten men when Alpha Sissokho picked up a straight red card for a (very) high challenge (14’). It looked set to be a long night for the visitors.

Josh Maja's early goal obviously supercharged his confidence, and the Nigerian international was on top form throughout. He was a constant menace with his back to goal, and the quality of his passing was instrumental in Bordeaux's attacking dominance. He delivered some superb balls for Dilane Bakwa (44’, 53’) and Malcom Bokele (55’), not to mention his two assists. The first came when Alberth Elis shrugged off his marker and slid the ball on to Josh, who produced a beautiful first-touch pass for Dilane Bakwa to smash home on his left foot. Quevilly keeper Lemaître was well beaten (3-0, 41’). Maja's second assist was a clever lay-off for Logan Delaurier-Chaubet, who slotted home the fourth goal with his left foot too (4-0, 75’).

In the mean time, Malcom Bokele had also made the most of Quevilly's somewhat generous defending. When the goalkeeper fluffed a clearance, Albert Elis latched onto the ball, charged past his marker and fired his shot in off the woodwork (2-0, 21’). This four-goal haul reflects the Girondins' ruthless dominance, and in fact it could have been worse for the visitors: Dilane Bakwa came close from free kicks (17’, 37’) and saw one effort saved by the post (53’), while Marvin De Lima almost made his mark in the final minutes (86’, 89’).

Serious, organised and never really troubled at the back, the Girondins bounced back in the best possible way after Saturday's disappointing result against Guingamp (0-1). Three points which put Bordeaux back into the top 3, and which should allow the boys to be confident and ambitious as they prepare for this weekend's trip to Paris (kick-off 15:00).