Categories: World Soccer

Malcom in the middle as Bordeaux win on Poyet debut

Malcom, the 50 million-euro ($62m, £44m) rated Brazilian winger who has been linked with Arsenal, appeared to dive to win the 27th-minute penalty he then scored to give Bordeaux a shock 2-0 lead.

Poyet had already seen Nicolas De Preville put the home side in front in south-western France, with Gaetan Laborde scoring another penalty for the hosts in first half stoppage time three minutes after Marcelo had pulled one back for Lyon.

Bordeaux had another Brazilian, Otavio, sent off after the break but they held on to make it two wins from two games since previous coach Jocelyn Gourvennec was sacked and move into the top half.

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The result was a big blow to Lyon, who had beaten Paris Saint-Germain at home last weekend and then won at Monaco in the French Cup on Wednesday.

They are now 11 points behind leaders PSG once again after the capital club beat Montpellier 4-0 on Saturday, with Neymar scoring twice and Angel Di Maria also on target after Edinson Cavani got the opener to take him to a club record 157 goals in all competitions.

Marseille and Monaco will both have the chance to move above Lyon into second place when they meet each other later on Sunday at the Stade Velodrome (2000 GMT) — it looks like only two of that trio will qualify for next season’s Champions League alongside PSG.

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Uruguayan Poyet, 50, had been appointed Bordeaux coach last weekend, charged with the task of leading the six-time French champions up the Ligue 1 table after a dreadful run of form.

The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder had coached in Greece, Spain and China since his last stint in the English game with Sunderland, which ended in 2015.

He has past experience of the French game, though, having had a year with second-tier Grenoble in the late 1980s, where he played alongside future French World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff.

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Poyet is convinced that Malcom should stay at the club beyond the closure of the January transfer window, and on Sunday the 20-year-old showed why he is so important to his side.

Malcom led a counter-attack down the right flank before finding Soualiho Meite, who teed up De Preville for his opener midway through the first half.

Five minutes later Malcom fell to the floor inside the box with Jeremy Morel in close proximity, and although there did not appear to be any contact from the Lyon defender a penalty was awarded that Malcom himself promptly converted.

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Marcelo pulled one back for Lyon when he headed in a Nabil Fekir corner, but Laborde scored Bordeaux’s third from the spot in the final seconds of the first half after goalkeeper Anthony Lopes brought down Maxime Poundje.

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By Agence France Presse