BPU 1 - 3 girondins (370392768)

Overcast weather free of rain made for a crowd turnout of 26400 at Pythons Arena today. Bogdan Georgescu was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Cedric Träger and Vladimír Holan. BPU decided to use a 4-5-1 set up. Starters: Vähäkangas - Eckholt, Žáčko, Jagerman, Podlaski - Saa, Alexandrov, Khrisanov, Keudell, Jonsson - Bonvalot.

girondins had chosen a strategic 3-5-2 formation. Lineup: Fekih - Altzibar, Dolgov, Vaccaro - Trotta, Orenshtein, Cabreira, Muharembegović, Davidov - Talarico, Božek.

The wings were the focus of most of BPU's attacks today. P. Vähäkangas looked great 8 minutes into the match after stopping a shot from the middle of the penalty area from the visitors' C. Orenshtein. 18 minutes into the game, BPU had difficulty finding their positions and their organisation dropped to inadequate. The terraces were silenced after 32 minutes when girondins's M. Božek put the guests ahead 0 - 1, following an attack on the right. 33 minutes into the game, BPU seemed a little tentative in their play as their organization fell to inadequate. No matter how hard he tried, A. Saa just couldn't get his shot past the visitors' right side defence after 34 minutes. Some fine movement on the left led to a girondins goal after 40 minutes, making it 0 - 2. M. Božek was noted down as the scorer. After 41 minutes a combination in the middle resulted in a through ball for M. Altzibar who increased girondins's lead to 0 - 3. 0 - 3 was the halftime score. Possession in the forty-five minutes was dominated by girondins, with 58 percent of the ball.

During the break, BPU's coach went through the team's tactics yet again, getting them up to solid organisation. A marvellous BPU effort on the right-hand side resulted in a goal after 49 minutes by A. Saa, making the score 1 - 3. After 51 minutes, there was a bit of a mixup on the field as BPU found themselves out of position and their organisation level dropped to inadequate. Good work by the BPU defensive line after 62 minutes produced a good counterattack chance, which cut elegantly down the middle of the pitch and found W. Podlaski alone in front of the goal, but his shot whistled just wide. 65 minutes into the game, T. Alexandrov had to leave the pitch due to a knee injury. In came C. Amstein. C. Keudell was the new captain of BPU - handed the armband by the departing player. C. Caron was called on to replace girondins's F. Trotta after 74 minutes following a nasty collision. 76 minutes in, BPU appeared unsure on how to play and their organisation was only inadequate. The girondins players could smell victory in the air. G. Dolgov wasn't in a hurry to leave the field as he was substituted for G. Latreille after 80 minutes. E. Muharembegović left the field with a smile on his face as he was substituted 82 minutes into the game, as his team was in the lead. A. Spreeuwenberg was the replacement. girondins claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 56 percent.

BPU's best player was N. Bonvalot. P. Vähäkangas turned in a dismal performance, however. Most important girondins player was J. Cabreira. On the other hand, C. Caron's play was disheartening. The match ends 1 - 3.