MATMUT ATLANTIQUE Wednesday, December 5th, 2018 k/o 19:00   Ligue 1 Attendance: 23,375         Bordeaux 3-2 Saint-Étienne
2018 /19

Comments :

Last Christmas it was wham, only joking Germany(hence not funny) but the stade matmut atlantique had been on my radar for a while but French tv makes it hard to get a good deal on flights and accommodation due to it''s late selection process which hampered my attempts earlier in the season. This game however was midweek and whilst I had to wait before being able to print my ticket I took the gamble that the odds were more in my favour however direct flights from Liverpool or Manchester didn''t work with expense or transfer issues and flight times. Luckily I new they flew from Dublin and I managed to get a cheap flight there with Ryanair the plan to get a connecting flight three hours later however with my outbound flight delayed by 90minutes(ironic)due to having to swap planes as the first had too much fuel in it! Having never been to Dublin airport before I was panicking and ran most of the way between terminals but needant have worried, likewise I had to prebook a taxi as time wasn''t on my side to be able to rely on public transport. I had booked it for a quarter of an hour after the scheduled arrival time but we were ahead of the game which left a twenty minute turnaround not knowing if I would find it but find it I did. A nice Audi and a pleasant chat meant the twenty minute drive to my budget hotel passed by before I new it. I had three hours until kick off but whilst I was only five minutes away from the ground I wanted to get their sharpish and take pictures etc. also calling into the ticket office they were happy to issue a proper ticket to compliment my print at home version. The ground is truly awesome, I did have trouble locating the free programme eventually left in a box on a table just inside the turnstiles, foodwise I avoided the baguettes and found a vender selling kebabs although I noticed on the way out others selling the likes of pizzas. My seat was good in the upper tier on the side although the ground only seemed half full despite an impressive draw against PSG the previous home league game(their first dropped pts of the season). The game was bizarre or should that be Biz VAR. The hosts hit the post early on but went behind from a tap in but equalised with a scruffy scrambled affair which led to 8 minutes added time for an injury to an ASSE player clattered by his keeper in the build up leading to him being stretchered off before going ahead after the ball went out supposedly for a corner. With the hosts ready to take it the visitors moaned and moaned for a goal kick leading to a check with VAR and the decision to award a penalty(own goal there). ST Etienne equalised from another close rang effort before the second strange decision as a Bordeaux player on the attack was fouled and acted aggressively leading to his dismissal but again just as the free kick (in there favour) was about to be taken he decided to use Var and rescinded the red card allowing the player to return to the game. Late drama at the end as the winner came with a header from corner in the 89th minute before seeing out another six added minutes. As I left the ground a big screen in the fan park was showing the Strasbourg v PSG game but as they were only selling Carlsberg I decided to drop my stuff off and try and find a local hostelry instead. Unfortunately despite the closeness on the hotel drinking options were limited leading to a couple of expensive half''s in an indoor go kart and bowling alley before heading to the mcdonalds next door unfortunately despite it only approaching 23.00 I was told it was ferme.