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.
Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of Ligue 1 action where Bastia host Lorient at Stade Armand Cesari.
This 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.
Bastia 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?
Both sides are without a win in their last four game, so will be desperate to change their current form.
Right, let's bring you the team news.
BASTIA XI: Landreau, Cioni, Modesto, Squillaci, Cahuzac, Khazri, Palmieri, Romaric, Boudebouz, Bruno, Krasic
Bastia boss Frederic Hantz makes three changes to the side that drew 2-2 with Saint-Etienne last week.
Drissa 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.
BASTIA BENCH: Leca, Harek, Ba, Sable, Ilan, Keseru, Maoulida
Now for the away side.
LORIENT XI: Audard, Bourillon, Manga, Gassama, Guerreiro, Lautoa, Coutadeur, Jouffre, Aboubakar, Aliadiere, Monnet-Paquet
Lorient boss Christian Gourcuff makes two changes to the side lost to Marseille last time out.
Maxime Baca and Bryan Pele miss out on a place in the starting lineup, while Lamine Gassama and Jeremie Aliadiere come into the team.
LORIENT BENCH: Reynet, Baca, Abdullah, Azouni, Doukoure, Pele, Reale
The teams are out at Stade Armand Cesari.
Bastia are wearing their all-blue home strip, with Lorient sporting their all-white away kit.
KICKOFF! Bastia, playing from left to right, get the match underway.
Lautoa is down injured early for Lorient so we have an early break in play.
GOAL! Bastia 1-0 Lorient (Ryad Boudebouz)
What 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.
It's all Bastia at the moment, nothing more in terms of chances, but they are well in control when it comes to possession.
Krasic 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.
CHANCE! 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.
Lorient are beginning to come back into this now and settle. They're enjoying a bit more attacking possession but haven't tested Landreau yet.
CHANCE! 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.
PENALTY TO BASTIA!
Great 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.
GOAL! Bastia 2-0 Lorient (Wahbi Khazri)
Cool 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.
Lorient are desperately trying to get back into the game, but not having much luck at the moment.
GOAL! Bastia 2-1 Lorient (Mathieu Coutadeur)
It'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.
YELLOW CARD Bruno goes into the book after a late challenge.
Lorient are right back in this now and launching several attacks at goal. Landreau still hasn't had much to do yet.
Bruno 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.
SAVE! 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.
We will have two minutes added time.
HALF TIME: Bastia 2-1 Lorient
What a great half of football that was, and it sets us up for what should be a very entertaining second half.
Bastia 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.
Match 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
The teams are back out and ready for the second half.
KICKOFF!Lorient, playing from left to right, get the match back underway.
It'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.
DOUBLE 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.
I can't get my head around how Bastia aren't further ahead here. Terrific last-ditch defending from Lorient.
I missed it earlier on, so apologies for that, but Baca is on for Lorient in place of Gassama.
Lorient are starting to press now. It's end to end stuff at the moment.
GOAL! Bastia 3-1 Lorient (Milos Krasic)
Bastia 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.
LORIENT CHANGE Bryan Pele is on in place of Bourillon.
SAVE! 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.
SAVE! 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.
It 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.
BASTIA CHANGE Krasic comes off in place of Ilan.
LORIENT CHANGE Aliadiere makes way for Azouni.
Time is running out for Lorient, can they find a way back into this match.
YELLOW CARD Manga goes into the book for a late trip on Boudebouz.
GOAL! Bastia 4-1 Lorient (Romaric)
Game, 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.
RED 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.
Palmieri has since gone off the field and has an ice pack strapped to his shin.
We will have four minutes of added time.
YELLOW CARD Wes Lautoa goes into the book for a poor challenge.
FULL TIME: Bastia 4-1 Lorient
Finally 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.
Bastia climb to ninth while Lorient stay in the relegation zone ahead of the weekend's action.
Match 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
Well that's it from me for tonight, I hope you enjoyed the game, until tomorrow, goodnight.
