Stade de Bordeaux's night to remember

Blaise Matuidi, who scored twice in France's 2-1 victory against Serbia on Monday, was among those to heap praise on the new Stade de Bordeaux, venue for five matches at UEFA EURO 2016.

Inaugurated in May 2015, the stadium welcomed over 40,000 fans as France returned to the city after a 21-year absence. Matuidi said: "It's a very beautiful stadium and there are very good fans here. We're happy to have played here and we wanted to show the French public that we intend to do something big in the competition next summer."

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France supporters were thrilled by Matuidi's goals and also gave a rousing reception to Benoît Trémoulinas, a French champion with Girondins de Bordeaux in 2009. Born in nearby Lormont, the Sevilla left-back was lifted by the vociferous backing he enjoyed, putting in an eye-catching display.

"I loved the stadium," he said. "My family were in the stands. On the pitch you hear the fans very well. It feels like the stadium is huge, with a great atmosphere. I felt the fans were right behind me every time I got the ball at my feet."

The elegant stadium, completed at a cost of €184m and located by a man-made lake, will host four group games and a quarter-final next summer.

A general view of the Stade de Bordeaux©Getty Images

France and Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin added: "It's a beautiful stadium and people are very passionate about football here. I don't know if we'll get to play games here but the stadium will grace the EURO."

The previous time France played in Bordeaux, a midfielder also scored a double as Zinédine Zidane netted twice on his debut against the Czech Republic. Matuidi said: "We won't make any comparisons." Zidane went on to become a European champion with his country, something Matuidi is desperate to emulate in 2016.