Bordeaux ended their six-match losing streak in Ligue 1 with a 4-2 win at Brest, but the result was not enough to prevent their relegation from Ligue 1.
Bordeaux started the match with a sense of inevitability as Ligue 1’s bottom side needed to overturn a -12 goal deficit and hope Metz and St Etienne both lose to remain in France’s top flight. However, ‘Les Girondins’ were willing to give it their all and they took an early lead when Danylo Ignatenko’s lofted through ball was poked in by Ricardo Mangas. Brest had their own intentions though, as ‘Les Pirates’ were gunning for a first top 11 finish in Ligue 1 in the 21st century and Steve Mounié equalised with a fierce first-time volley that sailed into the roof of the net.
Undeterred, Bordeaux’s gung-ho approach continued and, despite scoring once in their last three matches, Sékou Mara restored the visitors’ lead as the 19-year old scored his fourth goal in seven, latching onto Marco Bizot’s spilled save and tapping into an empty net. With a defence that shipped four or more goals in their last three on the road, Bordeaux conceded another before HT as Brest’s Youssef Belaïli met Romain Del Castillo’s corner with a powerful header that evaded Gaetan Poussin.
Inevitably, a more cagey second half ensued after HT until Bordeaux took control of proceedings and scored two quickfire goals. First, Mara tapped in another parried save from Bizot before Javairô Dilrosun rounded two Brest defenders and composedly curled past Bizot to seal the points.
Brest pushed back in the late stages in hope of staging another comeback, but the hosts could not mount any serious challenge and ‘Les Pirates’ ended their Ligue 1 campaign with three consecutive defeats. Bordeaux gave it their all in this do or die match, but the pre-match demands for the 2008/09 Ligue 1 champions were always going to be too great.
