Our prediction for this Europa League match:
Bordeaux
Match Time & Date:
16/08/2018
02:45 PM
Prediction: 3-1
Mariupol
Thanks to a 3-1 win over Mariupol Bordeaux moved one step closer to booking their place in the Europa League play-off. Les Girondins proved their worth in the first leg and, as a result, they are with one foot in the next qualifying round. Key player from last season Malcolm, who joined Barcelona earlier this summer, has not been sorely missed in Gustavo Poyet’s team and it is more than obvious that the Uruguayan tactician is doing a great job with the Ligue 1 outfit. Mariupol face an uphill task in Thursday’s football match and we do not believe that they are capable of spoiling Bordeaux’s party at Stade Matmut-Atlantique. Gaetan Laborde scored a brace in the 3-1 win over Mariupol and all eyes will be on him when the two teams face each other in the Europa League third qualifying round, return leg.
Highlighted Player (Lukas Lerager):
Lukas Lerager is a Denmark international who plays for Ligue 1 side Bordeaux as a midfielder. Lerager began his senior career at AB Copenhagen and he made 48 appearances in the league for the capital club from 2010 to 2013. In 2013 he signed for a fellow Danish side Viborg and, after playing 67 league games for the Greens, he joined Belgian team Zulte Waregem.
In the summer of 2017 Lukas Lerager moved to Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, signing a four-year deal with les Girondins. Speaking of his international career, the right-footed midfielder has one cap for Denmark U21 team and he made his senior debut for the Denmark national team on June 6, 2016 in a 1-1 draw with Germany.
Lerager came as a substitute in the 65th minute of the match, replacing Tottenham Hotspur ace Christian Eriksen. His main position is central midfielder, but he is often used as a left or right midfielder.
Highlighted Team (Bordeaux):
Founded in 1881, Bordeaux are regarded as one of the oldest clubs in France. Les Girondins won their first Ligue 1 trophy in 1950 and 59 years later (2008/2009) they lifted their sixth domestic trophy.
Speaking of the club’s European success, Bordeaux did remarkably well to make it to the Champions League semi-finals in 1985, but despite recording a 2-0 win over star-studded Juventus in the return leg, the French club eventually failed to book their place in the final of the elite competition.
Famous French footballers Alain Giresse and Jean Tigana were part of the team back then and it has to be noted that Giresse is the player who made the most appearances for les Girondins (587). During the nineties Zinedine Zidane, Christophe Dugarry and Bixente Lizarazu played for Bordeaux and, taking everything into account, it is no surprise they are considered one of the most famous French clubs.
Nowadays Les Girondins welcome their rivals at Matmut Atlantique, the stadium which was opened in 2015 and they used to play at Stade Chaban-Delmas in the past.
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