Sion v Bordeaux background
Friday, October 23, 2015
Article summary
Former Girondins striker Didier Tholot led Sion to a 1-0 win in Bordeaux on matchday three and the group stage debutants will be through if they do the double over the Ligue 1 club.
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FC Sion coach Didier Tholot enjoyed his return to FC Girondins de Bordeaux on matchday three and will hope his team can defeat the Ligue 1 outfit again to confirm their progress from UEFA Europa League Group B with two games to spare.
Previous meetings
• Léo Lacroix headed the only goal as Sion won 1-0 in Bordeaux on 22 October in what was the sides' first European meeting. It was Sion's first European away victory since a 1-0 success at TPS Turku in the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
• Sion's record in five meetings with French sides is W2 D1 L2 (W1 D1 L0 at home). They scored twice in both of those home fixtures.
• The matchday three loss was Bordeaux's first defeat in five games against Swiss opponents: W2 D2 L1 (W1 D1 L0 away). They averaged two goals a game in their two matches in Switzerland.
Form guide
• Sion are four points clear at the top of the section; they are the only side who have won a game in Group B – Liverpool FC have drawn all of theirs while Bordeaux and FC Rubin Kazan's records read D2 L1.
• If Sion win, they are through.
• Bordeaux are without a win in four UEFA Europa League group stage away trips (D1 L3) since a 2-1 triumph at Club Brugge KV in November 2012.
• Sion are featuring in the group stage of a major UEFA competition for the first time.
• Bordeaux made it through to the round of 32 in their first two UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns, but missed the cut in their most recent appearance, in 2013/14.
Trivia and links
• The journey from Bordeaux to Sion is just under 650km.
• Bordeaux defender Cédric Yambéré turns 25 the day after the match.
• Sion defender Gabriel Cichero played in France with RC Lens (2011/12) and FC Nantes (2012–14).
The coaches
• A UEFA Cup finalist with Bordeaux in 1996, striker Tholot ended his playing career as player-coach at Sion and took charge of the club for a third time in 2014. He led Sion to Swiss Cup success in 2009 in his second stint and won that trophy again last term.
• Tholot played for Bordeaux from 1995 to 1997, helping them reach the 1997 League Cup final, where he scored in a 6-5 penalty shoot-out defeat by RC Strasbourg.
• Bordeaux's Willy Sagnol was appointed in 2014 after a spell as France Under-21 coach. The 38-year-old shone as a right-back, lifting a French title with AS Monaco FC before heading to Germany, where he won five Bundesliga crowns and the 2000/01 UEFA Champions League with FC Bayern München.
