Bordeaux vs. Le Mans

It took the defending champions just three minutes to go ahead when Yoann Gourcuff broke down the left before sliding the ball inside to Jaroslav Plasil and his cross, dummied by Marouane Chamakh, found Yoan Gouffran, whose shot hit the post and rebounded in of the back of Le Mans' keeper Didier Ovono.

Bordeaux produced some scintillating football, with Gouffran and Gourcuff both coming close to increasing the lead. Geraldo Wendel was also making life unpleasant for Ovono with a couple of well-struck free-kicks that narrowly missed their target.

It wasn't all Bordeaux, however, and on 37 minutes Belgian international Roland Lamah carved out an opening for Thorstein Helstad but his header went the wrong side of the crossbar.

The first period ended with Bordeaux in the ascendency and for Le Mans, labouring like a boxer backed up against the ropes, the half-time whistle couldn't come soon enough.

Unfortunately for the visitors they were on the receiving end of further punishment in the second-half as Bordeaux entertained the crowd to another display of dazzling football. Moroccan maestro Chamakh grabbed the second on 66 minutes, getting on the end of a well-directed corner from Gourcuff, and on 82 minutes David Bellion made it 3-0 after smart work from Benoît Tremoulinas.

The win not only extends Bordeaux's unbeaten home run in all competitions this season, but it also sends out a clear warning to their Ligue 1 rivals.