Bordeaux, France.
A depleted Girondins de Bordeaux conceded their ninth defeat in Ligue 1 this Friday following losing at home 0-1 once morest Olympique de Marseille, on matchday 20 of the French championship, a result that complicates Alberth Elis’s team in their fight to maintain the category.
The people from Bordeaux came to this party very weakened by the Covid-19 infections in their squad, which is why they had requested the postponement of the clash, although without success. The meeting was also played behind closed doors.
Elis played as the starter and played the 90 minutes at the Matmut Atlantique stadium. The Honduran forward tried, but it cost him and found no association in the Bordeaux attack.
A lone goal by Turk Cengiz Under in the final minutes of the first half allowed Marseille to break the “spell” that haunted him on his visits to the Bordeaux field, where Olympique had not won the league championship for 44 years.
Alberth Elis fighting for the ball with Marseille’s French defender William Saliba.
Girondins might not prevent the triumph of a Marseille, who had not won in Bordeaux since October 1, 1977. Four decades of frustrations that Argentina’s Jorge Sampaolí’s men seemed willing to put an end to from the opening whistle, completely taking over possession of the ball.
A monopoly of the ball to which Marseille added the occasional clear occasion like the one played by Croatian center-back Duje Caleta-Car following 12 minutes of play, who saw his shot crash into the post.
Although finally Olympique’s winning goal came in an error by local goalkeeper Benoit Costil who handed the ball to Cengiz Under for the Turkish attacker to establish the final 0-1 in the 38th minute.
A score that Marseille was able to expand in the second half, but neither Under nor midfielder Matteo Guendouzi managed to beat the Girondins goalkeeper.
Lack of success that did not prevent Jorge Samopaoli’s men not only from breaking the spell that haunted the Marseille team in Bordeaux, but also awarded them three points that put Olympique in second place in the standings.
The Honduran forward jumping to head the ball.
Of course, very far from the leader, Paris Saint-Germain that leads Marseille by ten points in the absence of the match that the Argentine Mauricio Pochettino will play next Sunday in the Lyon field.
For their part, Bordeaux, 17th-placed with 17 points, might find themselves relegated to the relegation places if Metz manage to beat Strasbourg on Sunday.
The week has been a nightmare for Girondins de Bordeaux, whose efforts to postpone Friday’s game were in vain.
Days before he had lived another similar experience, when his round of 32 duel of the French Cup was not postponed last Sunday despite having 23 casualties -21 due to Covid positives-. Bordeaux ended up eliminated by clearly falling (3-0) with Brest.
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