Bordeaux Women knocked out on penalties by PSG [0-0, 4-5 a.p.]

Gérard Prêcheur's PSG set the tone early on, dominating possession and piling the pressure on the Bordeaux defence. But the Girondines were solid and well-organised, and this looked destined to be a fascinating and closely-fought cup contest. Mylène Chavas pulled off a decisive early save to deny Hamraoui (16’), and a few minutes later Fiona Liaigre cleared off the line after a goalmouth scuffle (24’). The Girondines' best moments came from counter-attacks, including a mazy run from Julie Dufour which was cut short just before she could get her shot away (6’).  The Girondines were battling hard, closing down PSG effectively in midfield. Fiona Liaigre fired in a promising cross from the by-line, but it ended up safely in the gloves of Constance Picaud (37’).

The Parisiennes had a flurry of chances early in the second half, with both Martens (50’) and Bachmann (54’, 55’) trying their luck. Cheered on by the sizeable home crowd, Patrice Lair's players gave as good as they got. Melissa Gomes came tantalisingly close to scoring from a Melissa Herrera cross, but Picaud just managed to get her fingertips to the ball (58’). Mylène Chavas was imperious in the Bordeaux goal, tipping a Vangsgaard shot onto the crossbar (74’) then intercepting a goal-bound free-kick with calm and poise.

As time ticked away, the game became increasingly hectic. The Parisiennes were pushing ever higher up the field, leaving acres of space for the Girondines to exploit. The home crowd roared on the girls in the final minutes, but despite their best efforts the scoreboard remained resolutely empty. You could cut the tension with a knife as the two sides returned to the field for the penalty shoot-out, and it went right down to the wire: just one penalty missed, and 5-4 win for the visitors. The Girondines were beaten by the very narrowest of margins today, but emerged from this epic cup clash with their heads held high. An intense way to end a dramatic day of football at the Matmut ATLANTIQUE.