“Jessy Benet stepped up and converted the penalty to give Pau a deserved lead after a dominant opening to the second half.”
Pivotal“Abdoulaye Mbaye added a late second in stoppage time to put the result beyond any doubt.”
Pau
Dunkerque
Outstanding performance
Pau•MidfielderPau's night was shaped in the 11th minute when Victor Mayela was dismissed for a professional foul as last man, and from there the hosts simply overwhelmed their ten-man visitors. With 67% possession and 22 shots to Dunkerque's 7, Pau dominated every phase of play, though they had to wait until the 49th minute to make the numerical advantage count through Jessy Benet's penalty. Dunkerque's goalkeeper kept the score respectable with 8 saves, but a stoppage-time strike from Abdoulaye Mbaye in the 88th minute finally reflected the gulf in control, sealing a 2-0 win built on total dominance rather than clinical finishing. For Pau, it's another step forward in a season defined by consistency near the top, while Dunkerque's afternoon was undone in the opening quarter-hour and they now face questions about discipline and resilience against sides who capitalize on numerical advantages.
How entertaining was this match?
Corner awarded.
Jessy BenetShot by Jessy Benet with his left foot results in a goal.
Goal in the penalty shootout! Jessy Benet scores, making it 1-0.
Cheikh Fall's header is saved.
The first half ends with a score of 0-0.
Cheikh Fall's header is saved.
Cheikh Fall's header is saved.
Opa Sangante takes a right-footed shot, but it is saved.
Corner awarded.
Tom Pouilly takes a right-footed shot but misses.
Jessy Benet's left-footed shot is saved.
Anthony Briancon takes a shot with his head, but it's saved.
Corner awarded.
Cheikh Fall takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Yellow card shown to Abdel Hakim Abdallah.
Corner awarded.
Jeremy Sebas takes a left-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Anthony Briancon takes a header shot, but it hits the post.
Corner awarded.
Jessy Benet takes a left-footed shot, but it's blocked.
Tom Saettel takes a right-footed shot, but it is blocked.
Bram Lagae replaces Gaetan Robail.
Anthony BriançonYellow CardAnthony Briancon receives a yellow card.
Souleymane Keita takes a right-footed shot, but it is saved.
Jessy Benet takes a left-footed shot, but it is saved.
Corner awarded.
Khalil Ayari attempts a left-footed shot but misses.
Victor MayelaRed CardRed card shown to Victor Mayela.
Kick-off! The referee is Brendan Roffet.
Pau's rocky start to the season continues as they sit 15th and try to snap a poor run of form at home. Dunkerque, buoyed by a recent win over Saint-Étienne, arrive with momentum and a strong recent head-to-head record against Pau.
