Ligue 1 21/22, Round 24 – 13/2/22
LENS – 3 (Kalimuendo 10, Kakuta 22, Fofana 26)
Wuilker Faríñez, 5
Christopher Wooh, 5
Kevin Danso, 5
Facundo Medina, 6 – He led his team in defensive actions with 13 which included a committed diving block on a powerful Elis shot before halftime. He can be erratic at times but here his all-action style worked in his favour.
Cheick Doucouré, 5
Seko Fofana, 7 – He’s still struggling to overcome some apparent fatigue but this was an uptick as he added some clever touches around the box and carried a number of late counters. An arching finish, arriving late in the box, made it 3-0 but he did over-embellish with a backheel which lead to Bordeaux’s first. Did just enough for 7 overall though.
Massadio Haïdara, 6
Jonathan Clauss, 5 – He was sharp in pinching the ball from Oudin and quickly countering for the opener and his cross was intermittently threatening.
Gaël Kakuta, 7 – Scrapes as 7 after his clever ball around a corner created the chance for Kalimuendo’s opener and he stroked home the penalty. But he was only fleetingly a major protagonist in the game, typical of Kakuta’s recent better displays.
Florian Sotoca, 5
Arnaud Kalimuendo, 6 – A troublesome runner for Marcelo and co and he did well to sweep home the early opener first time but should’ve had another after he capitalised on Marcelo’s error, Poussin saving his shot at close range.
Others: Berg 5, Ganago 6, Costa 5, Frankowski 5.
BORDEAUX – 2 (Elis 33, Hwang 53)
Gaëtan Poussin, 7 – There wasn’t much he could do about the goals and he made three superb saves – a point-blank stop from Kalimuendo, a one-on-one block from Ganago as he bared down on goal and snap hand at his near post from Fofana late on. He was lucky to get away with a wayward pass that ricocheted over the bar off Kalimuendo, however.
Enock Kwateng, 4
Marcelo, 3 – Despite playing for Lyon’s reserve side this season during his exile from the senior squad he looked rusty here. He was very lucky an embarrassing stumble over the ball didn’t result in a four-goal lead for Lens and was saved by Poussin.
Anel Ahmedhodžić, 5
Gideon Mensah, 3
Jean Onana, 5 – A lazy intervention contributed to the conceding of the opener but it was his searching ball (probably meant for another man) that found Elis for Bordeaux’s first. His 14 successful pressures equalled the match high.
Josuha Guilavogui, 4
Fransérgio Barbosa, 2
Alberth Elis, 6 – He provided his usual effort and work rate, and he confidently and clinically fired home Bordeaux’s first after being put in by Onana, but struggled to affect the game consistently and was withdrawn early in the second half.
Rémi Oudin, 3
Hwang Ui-jo, 6 – It was his clever snap turn and finish through Danso’s ankles that made it 3-2 but, as is often the case for Hwang, his finishing was all that he could offer in a tangible sense and only managed 32 touches in 90 minutes on the fringes of the game.
Others: Adli 4, Dilrosun 4, Mangas 5, Mara 5, Niang 5.