Two minutes were enough for Gabin Bernardeau to turn a quiet night into a defining one. Introduced from the bench against Paris FC on Saturday, the 20-year-old scored his first Ligue 1 goal in Lorient’s 1-0 win.
Bernardeau struck in the 68th minute, having replaced a team-mate only in the 66th. It was his first appearance as a substitute this season, and his instinctive finish delivered three valuable points for Lorient.
Quick facts
- Gabin Bernardeau scored the only goal in Lorient’s 1-0 victory over Paris FC.
- The 20-year-old found the net in the 68th minute, two minutes after coming on.
- It was his first Ligue 1 goal.
- Bernardeau had started Lorient’s opening five league matches without scoring.
- He joined Lorient during the summer after limited playing time at Nice last season.
The former Le Mans academy player could barely contain his emotion after the final whistle. He said the feeling was difficult to put into words and admitted that he had not yet fully taken in what had happened.
“The goal wins us the match as well,” Bernardeau said. “The ball arrived and I dealt with it on instinct. I made the right move. I hope I can keep going like this.”
Bernardeau arrived at Lorient looking to revive a young professional career that had stalled at Nice, where he made little impact last term. His early run in the starting line-up this season had brought effort but no end product.
Coach Alexandre Dujeux said the breakthrough could matter well beyond one match. He described Bernardeau as a very young player who had barely featured at Nice and insisted that his lack of goals in the first five rounds did not reflect his quality in front of goal.
Dujeux said he was “very, very happy” to see the forward open his account, calling it a boost for the whole squad. For Bernardeau, the first Ligue 1 goal has arrived at exactly the right moment.
