Sochaux vs Dijon

Domingues' header just before the interval was the decisive moment. Sochaux had held firm for 43 minutes, but conceding so close to half-time — and the unusual scene of the entire Sochaux squad staying on the pitch after the whistle, sitting in a circle in the heat rather than going to the dressing room — betrayed the psychological damage. Dijon's three half-time substitutions freshened their attack, and Ntamack's goal within 13 minutes of the restart killed any hope of a Sochaux response.

• Julien Domingues (Dijon): The opener was his fifth goal of pre-season, making him Dijon's top scorer in preparation. His positioning and leap from the cross were clinical.
• Arthur Ntamack (Dijon): Introduced at half-time, he needed just 13 minutes to make his mark — a composed finish after a sharp dribble. His movement caused problems throughout the second half.
• Lenny Lacroix (Dijon): Rose unchallenged to head home the third from a corner, highlighting Dijon's set-piece threat.
• Michaël Barreto (Dijon): Pulled the strings in midfield and provided the assist for Lacroix's goal. "We feel good, we can see we can repeat our runs," he told ICI after the match.

Player of the match: Julien Domingues

The match was decided by efficiency in both boxes. Dijon scored with three of their notable chances — a header from a cross, a solo finish from a dribble, and a set-piece header — while Sochaux failed to register a single goal across their best openings. Lobry had a volley saved, Mexique fired over, and Baghdadi missed a late one-on-one against Ketterle. Dijon's first clean sheet of pre-season reflected a defence that was never seriously stretched.

Sochaux have now lost their last two friendlies by a combined 7-1, following a 4-1 defeat to Metz on 22 July. Hognon was blunt in his assessment: "We're terribly ineffective," he told ICI. "There's nothing serious, but we need to realise we have to put a bit more aggression into our defending." Sochaux face Auxerre (Ligue 1) on 1 August before opening their Ligue 2 campaign at home to Saint-Étienne on 8 August.

For Dijon, it was a fourth consecutive pre-season victory. Baptiste Ridira's side have been sharp in front of goal and solid at the back. "Three goals scored in a friendly two weeks before the first league match is a good signal," Ridira told ICI. "We must stay measured." Dijon finish their preparation against Nancy on 1 August and begin Ligue 2 away at Montpellier on 8 August.

A pre-season mismatch that exposed the gap in readiness between the two sides. Dijon look well-prepared for their Ligue 2 return, while Sochaux have defensive frailties and a blunt attack to fix before competitive football begins in a fortnight.