Following a seven-star performance during their first pre-season outing, Southampton take their preparations for the new season to the continent as they face Bordeaux in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Wednesday morning.
A midweek meeting with Les Girondins is the Saints' first of two fixtures out in Spain, before the Premier League newcomers return to England at the end of the month.
Match preview
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Coming up against National League opposition in the form of Hampshire neighbours Eastleigh on Friday night, Southampton showcased the ruthlessness and quality of a Premier League side to secure a 7-1 victory, with summer arrival Yukinari Sugawara bagging his first goal for the club.
Fresh from signing a new three-year deal at St Mary's Stadium earlier in the day, Adam Armstrong netted a brilliant brace for the visiting Saints during the opening 17 minutes of the Spitfires thrashing, with the 27-year-old desperate to prove he can be a serious threat in the top flight.
Following a promotion-winning campaign during his first year in charge of the South Coast club, Russell Martin will be relishing a week in Spain to further instil his footballing philosophy, whilst also integrating a number of new signings from this summer's transfer market.
With the permanent acquisition of Flynn Downes from West Ham United for £18m understandably stealing the headlines, the arrivals of Charlie Taylor and Adam Lallana as free agents have gone under the radar slightly, with the pair set to provide lots of Premier League knowhow as part of a talented, yet relatively-inexperienced group.
As mentioned earlier, Southampton will take to the pre-season field twice during their week-long stay in Spain, facing off against Bordeaux on Wednesday morning before a meeting with Montpellier on Saturday, when the Saints will test themselves against top-tier opposition for the first time this summer.
After finishing bottom of Ligue 1 during an ill-fated 2021-22 season, Bordeaux will be desperately aiming to make it third time lucky and return to the top table of French football in 2025, but the club's woeful fortunes of late suggest that their second-tier stay could continue far into the decade.
Les Girondins placed 12th in an 18-team Ligue 2 during the 2023-24 campaign, coming up massively short of the playoff positions, with the six-time French champions currently enduring a significant fall from grace considering that they were competing in Europe as recently as 2018.
Following a playing career which included spells at Liverpool and Manchester City, Albert Riera was handed the Bordeaux job after taking his first roles in management at NK Olimpija Ljubljana and Celje in Slovenia, with the Spaniard now tasked with guiding the French club back towards their former heights.
Despite operating in the second tier of French football, Les Girondins have a pair of attacking stars who graced the continental's biggest stage over the course of the summer, with Zan Vipotnik and Zuriko Davitashvili representing Slovenia and Georgia respectively at Euro 2024 in Germany.
Wednesday's clash with the Premier League Saints will be Bordeaux's first of their summer schedule, before further friendly tests versus Clermont, Niort and Angers arrive ahead of the all-important opening battle with Guingamp in Ligue 2 on August 17, the same day that Southampton commence their competitive action at Newcastle United.
Team News
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After reportedly rejecting a new contract at Southampton, Che Adams is in the process of completing a move to Serie A outfit Torino, meaning that the former Birmingham City marksman will play no part on Wednesday morning.
Whilst the hunt for Celtic's Matt O'Riley rumbles on, Martin is likely to field a midfield trio of Downes, Will Smallbone and Joe Aribo against Bordeaux.
The Saints have included a number of academy prospects in their training camp, with 18-year-old Samuel Amo-Ameyaw looking to prove his potential worth to the first-team squad over the course of the week in Spain.
Following extended breaks due to their participation at the European Championships, it remains to be seen whether Vipotnik or Davitashvili will feature in this one.
As a result, a lot of the goalscoring burden could fall onto the shoulders of Pedro Diaz, who netted on seven occasions during his debut campaign for Les Girondins in 2023-24.
Southampton possible starting lineup:
McCarthy; Bree, Edwards, Harwood-Bellis, Taylor; Downes, Smallbone, Aribo; Edozie, Lallana, Armstrong
Bordeaux possible starting lineup:
Johnsson; N'Simba, Marcelin, Cassubie, De Lima; Diaz, Sissokho, Marques; Livolant, Davitashvili, Vetro
We say: Southampton 3-1 Bordeaux
Disregarding the past achievements of both clubs, Southampton should be overwhelming favourites for victory on Wednesday, when Martin is likely to start with a near first-choice XI.
Bordeaux are further behind the Saints in their respective summer schedule, and we are expecting a defeat for Les Girondins as they commence their pre-season itinerary.
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Carter White
