PAU vs Tarbes

Pau dominated possession from the opening whistle against a Tarbes side that had completed only four training sessions before the match. The breakthrough came in the 33rd minute when midfielder Kylian Gasnier picked out Lefebvre, who finished calmly to give Pau a 1-0 lead at half-time.

The second half began with an enforced change: Royce Openda failed to reappear after the break due to injury, with Tom Saettel introduced as his replacement. Saettel made an immediate impact, scoring within two minutes of the restart (47') to double Pau's advantage.

Lefebvre completed his brace five minutes later (51'), pouncing to make it 3-0. Tarbes were reduced to ten men before the hour mark after a red card, compounding their difficulties.

The visitors had a late chance to grab a consolation when they were awarded a penalty in stoppage time, but Valentin Liénard saw his spot-kick saved, preserving Pau's clean sheet.

Saettel's goal two minutes into the second half, scored seconds after replacing the injured Openda, effectively killed the contest. Tarbes had held firm for the final 12 minutes of the first half after Lefebvre's opener, but the quickfire strike so soon after the restart — followed by a red card and Lefebvre's second — turned a manageable deficit into a one-sided scoreline.

Alexis Lefebvre (Pau FC) — The summer signing from RFC Liège announced himself with two clinical finishes (33', 51') on his first start for the club. Player of the match.

Tom Saettel (Pau FC) — Entered at half-time for the injured Openda and scored within two minutes (47'), demonstrating the depth of Thierry Debès' squad.

Kylian Gasnier (Pau FC) — Provided the assist for Lefebvre's opener and controlled the midfield throughout, dictating tempo against overmatched opponents.

Esteban Salles (Pau FC) — The substitute goalkeeper, introduced on 63 minutes, made a crucial penalty save in stoppage time to preserve the clean sheet.

The 3-0 scoreline reflected the gulf in class and preparation between the two sides. Pau, who had already beaten La Liga side Real Sociedad 1-0 on 12 July, were in their second week of pre-season. Tarbes, by contrast, had trained only four times under Marc Fachan before this fixture. Pau's heavy rotation across both halves — a standard pre-season approach — meant the intensity never dropped. Tarbes competed gamely in a low block, as their coach had requested, but the two-division gap in quality was evident in the final third.

Pau FC continue their unbeaten pre-season with two wins from two. The Ligue 2 side's next preparation fixture will be confirmed as they build towards the 2026/27 Ligue 2 campaign, which kicks off in August.

For Tarbes, this was a valuable learning experience. Promoted from Régional 1 to National 1 in just two seasons, Marc Fachan's men face a tough campaign ahead. The match was arranged at short notice after their scheduled friendly against Bordeaux was cancelled due to the Girondins' financial turmoil, and Bayonne pulled out of facing Pau citing logistical issues.

"It's full of experience, full of enjoyment," Tarbes defender Maxime Dannfald told La Dépêche du Midi. "And we see where the bar is set at the level above. Two years ago I was playing for survival in Régional 1. The year after, we're chasing promotion. It's extraordinary."

A professional, no-fuss performance from Pau against overmatched opponents. Lefebvre's double will please manager Thierry Debès, who will have learned little about his side's defensive resilience but plenty about their attacking depth. For Tarbes, the 90 minutes against a professional outfit was the real prize — even if the scoreline was predictable.

Pau FC starting XI: Brice Maubleu; Souleymane Basse, Axel Bamba, Gaëtan Paquiez (c), Rony Mimb, Tom Pouilly, Cheikh Fall, Kylian Gasnier, Tidjan Diaby, Royce Openda, Alexis Lefebvre. Subs used: Tom Saettel, Lucas Rakotozafy, Enzo Derouin, Esteban Salles, Abdoulaye Mbaye, Clément Pujos, Wail Jaafar, Valentin Liénard. Venue: Stade de la Cité Verte, Hagetmau. Attendance: Not officially published.