Bordeaux on the up

Bordeaux continued their improved form with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Montpellier.

Bordeaux continued their improved form with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Montpellier at the Stade Chaban Delmas. Cheick Diabate and Ludovic Obraniak were on target with second-half goals as the home side made it three wins in their last four games in all competitions while extending their unbeaten league run to six matches. Montpellier lost Yassine Jebbour to a red card midway through the first half and the defeat drops them below Bordeaux to 15th in the table as they have recorded just one win in their last eight matches. The home side started well and a poorly-cleared ball by Montpellier defender Daniel Congre landed at Henri Saivet 30 yards out, who struck a powerful volley that Geoffrey Jourdren managed to block. And Bordeaux had the chance to take the lead after six minutes as Saivet crossed the ball from the right toward Obraniak at the far post, but the Poland international smashed his low shot against the crossbar. Again Montpellier goalkeeper Jourdren, making his 150th Ligue 1 appearance, was made to work again as he dived to keep out another Obraniak effort minutes later. But there was bad news for the away side as defender Jebbour was sent off after 19 minutes for a high foot on Lucas Alfonso Orban's thigh. Bordeaux continued to push forward against 10 men as Diabate and Obraniak came close to breaking the deadlock but were both denied by Jourdren. The game took a while to get going after the break and the home side continued to press on. Mathieu Chalme was freed on the right and timed it right as he crossed toward the far post for Nicolas Maurice-Belay, who was on target with a header before Jourdren denied them again. La Paillade had a chance to go ahead minutes later against the run of play. Remy Cabella took a free-kick outside the penalty area on the left and sent the ball into the box where Souleymane Camara headed in from the near post, forcing Bordeaux goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso into making a brilliant save. It was not long before Les Girondins' dominance paid off as Maurice-Belay brought the ball up on the left, dribbled past Teddy Mezague then crossed for Diabate to head home and hand them the lead. And Bordeaux added their second at the death as Maurice-Belay released Obraniak on the left, who was unchallenged and took the ball all the way as he ran inside the penalty area and lobbed a shot past Jourdren.