Bastia welcome Lorient in Ligue 1 on Friday night with both teams looking to kickstart their seasons.
Les Bleus sat 12th in the table while Les Merlus found themselves in the bottom three off the back of an impressive last term, and are desperate to get their season off the ground.
However, Bastia raced to a crushing victory over Lorient to move to ninth in the table.
Read how the match unfolded in our live commentary below.
7.06pmGood evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of Ligue 1 action where Bastia host Lorient at Stade Armand Cesari.
7.09pmThis is a huge game for both these sides who will be disappointed with their starts to the season so far. Both outfits harboured European hopes at the start of the campaign, yet neither currently occupy a place in the top half of the table.
7.12pmBastia currently sit 12th in the table but are undefeated at home, while Lorient have lost all four of their matches on the road this season. This is only going one way isn't it? Or is it?
7.14pmBoth sides are without a win in their last four game, so will be desperate to change their current form.
7.16pmBASTIA XI: Landreau, Cioni, Modesto, Squillaci, Cahuzac, Khazri, Palmieri, Romaric, Boudebouz, Bruno, Krasic
7.20pmBastia boss Frederic Hantz makes three changes to the side that drew 2-2 with Saint-Etienne last week.
7.21pmDrissa Diakite, Florian Raspentino and Julien Sable all drop out of the starting lineup XI while Sebastien Squillaci, Milos Krasic and Yannick Cahuzac all return to the team.
7.24pmLORIENT XI: Audard, Bourillon, Manga, Gassama, Guerreiro, Lautoa, Coutadeur, Jouffre, Aboubakar, Aliadiere, Monnet-Paquet
7.26pmLorient boss Christian Gourcuff makes two changes to the side lost to Marseille last time out.
7.26pmMaxime Baca and Bryan Pele miss out on a place in the starting lineup, while Lamine Gassama and Jeremie Aliadiere come into the team.
6 minWhat a hit from Boudebouz to get his first goal for the club. The cross comes in from the left and makes its way through to Boudebouz just inside the box. He takes a touch and then bangs a low shot in the bottom corner. What a start for Bastia.
10 minIt's all Bastia at the moment, nothing more in terms of chances, but they are well in control when it comes to possession.
13 minKrasic is having a field day for Bastia down the right at the moment. Lorient are making it so easy for him and he's just weaving his way through the defence like knife through butter.
15 minCHANCE! More of a half-chance really for the away side as Manga rises highest in the box to get his head to a cross. However, he was always leaning back, and put the effort over.
17 minLorient are beginning to come back into this now and settle. They're enjoying a bit more attacking possession but haven't tested Landreau yet.
20 minCHANCE! Bastia are a whisker away from doubling their lead. Boudebouz puts a free kick in from the left and Modesto gets his head to it, but flicks it just wide of the far post.
22 minGreat chance for Basita now to double their lead. Boudebouz smashes an effort from outside the box against the bar, and Khazri is upended on the rebound. Yellow card for Gassama, and a penalty for Bastia.
23 minCool as you like from Khazri, who confidently chips the ball down the centre. Everyone loves a paneka, but not Lorient in this case. They already have a mountain to climb.
29 minLorient are desperately trying to get back into the game, but not having much luck at the moment.
32 minIt's taken a massive stroke of luck, but Lorient are back in this match. Coutadeur picks up the ball in the centre about 20 yards from goal, and launches a strike. The effort takes a huge deflection, and loops over the head of Landreau and into the back of the net.
39 minLorient are right back in this now and launching several attacks at goal. Landreau still hasn't had much to do yet.
41 minBruno is currently down injured with an ankle problem for Bastia, it does seem the sort of one that he will be able to walk off though.
44 minSAVE! Great stop from Audard to deny Bruno from a few yards out. He probably should score as the cross comes in from the right, but Audard makes a brilliant reaction save to prevent Bastia from getting back their two-goal lead.
8.19pmWhat a great half of football that was, and it sets us up for what should be a very entertaining second half.
8.20pmBastia raced into an early lead courtesy of Boudebouz before Khazri doubled the lead from the spot. However, Lorient got right back in the match after a fortuitous Coutadeur goal.
8.22pmMatch statistics:
Bastia:
Shots 4
On target 3
Possession 56%
Corners 2
Fouls 7
Lorient:
Shots 3
On target 1
Possession 44%
Corners 3
Fouls 12
50 minIt's been a slow start to the second half, with more and more injuries seemingly being picked up all the time which was an annoying trend towards the end of the first half. Not sure how many of them are actually genuine.
53 minDOUBLE SAVE AND OFF THE LINE! This is unbelievable, Khazri slams two efforts from the edge of the box at goal which are both stopped from point-blank range from Audard. He gets a third one away and past the keeper, but it's blocked on the line.
54 minI can't get my head around how Bastia aren't further ahead here. Terrific last-ditch defending from Lorient.
55 minI missed it earlier on, so apologies for that, but Baca is on for Lorient in place of Gassama.
59 minBastia may have just wrapped up the match and, if so, they have done it in glorious fashion. Bruno has the ball on the right touchline and plays a wonderful backheel into the feet of Krasic. The Serb carries the ball forward, outpacing two defenders, before drawing out Audard and pulling off a cheeky dink over his head into the far corner. Brilliant.
65 minSAVE! Khazri slips in Boudebouz down the left and the latter is readying a chip towards goal, but Audard is quickly off his line to make the stop.
67 minSAVE! Aliadiere very nearly gets Lorient back in it once more as he goes one on one with Landreau. The keeper can stop the striker's shot with his hands, but it spins off him and towards goal. However, Modesto is back on the line to cooly nod into the arms of Landreau.
68 minIt was an awful error from Boudebouz, who passed it straight to the feet of Aliadiere to give him the chance. Luckily for him, his keeper bailed him out of trouble.
81 minGame, set and match. Bastia seal the win as Romaric beats two markers to the ball to pull off a brilliant header at the near post which slams into the net.
84 minRED CARD TO LORIENT! The away side's night just goes from bad to worse as Azouni is given his marching orders for a studs up challenge on Palmieri when both men were sliding in for the ball.
9.22pmFinally Lorient's torment has been brought to an end, they have been well and truly pummeled tonight and in truth it could have been more.
9.23pmBastia climb to ninth while Lorient stay in the relegation zone ahead of the weekend's action.
9.25pmMatch statistics:
Bastia:
Shots 14
On target 10
Possession 55%
Corners 4
Fouls 14
Lorient:
Shots 9
On target 3
Possession 45%
Corners 6
Fouls 21
