A long afternoon in Champagne [6-1]

This was never going to be an easy away trip: facing Reims on a synthetic pitch in the biting January cold... Nonetheless, Bordeaux started brightly and Mickaëlla Cardia rattled a shot off the woodwork early on (3'). The match was scrappy with challenges flying in from both sides. Doucouré (12') and Melissa Gomes (27') were both shown yellow cards. The first half was an evenly-matched affair, short on chances with one major exception: Reims took the lead with a blistering shot from the edge of the box 1-0 (33'). The Girondines attempted to turn up the tempo after the break, and Reims keeper Alvarado was once again saved by the woodwork when Maëlle Garbino looked to have gotten the better of her (47'). Bordeaux equalised soon enough, courtesy of Mickaëlla Cardia (although it may have been an own goal; 1-1, 51)'.

The Girondines' joy was to be short-lived, as Reims promptly restored their lead (2-1, 53'). The rest of the second half trundled along without much incident, until the last ten minutes turned into an absolute nightmare for Bordeaux. The Girondines began to flag as the end approached, leaving spaces in defence which the hosts exploited with ruthless efficiency. Reims scored four goals in quick succession (80', 90', 91' and 94') to turn a narrow defeat into a rout. The scoreline was very harsh indeed, as Bordeaux were more than a match for their opponents for the vast majority of the game. But that's football! The girls will need to bounce back immediately, with some help from their home support, when they take on Metz next Saturday in the next round of the Coupe de France !