Vintage Bordeaux

Pauleta inspires 6-1 rout over Ajaccio

PARIS (Reuters) -- Striker Pedro Pauleta scored three goals and set up another as Girondins Bordeaux hammered struggling nine-man AC Ajaccio 6-1 to advance its ambitions for a Champions' League berth Saturday.

Bordeaux moved to third place with 57 points from 34 matches. Olympique Marseille, facing a tricky trip to Lens on Sunday, is now one point adrift.

Ajaccio, which will have to fight hard to avoid relegation, remains 18th in the table with 32 points.

Pauleta opened the scoring when he latched on to a low cross from Jean-Claude Darcheville, two minutes after Laurent Moracchini was sent off in the 36th minute for a rough tackle on Bordeaux midfielder Savio.

Ajaccio's Gregory Lacombe was then also dismissed two minutes later for kicking Bordeaux's goalkeeper Frederic Roux.

After the break, Bernard Diomede stunned Bordeaux with a fine equalizer after 60 minutes, but two minutes later, Pauleta set up by Savio, gave Bordeaux the lead again.

Ajaccio's hopes were dashed in the 73rd minute when Savio headed the third goal.

Pauleta then set up Darcheville seven minutes later, who headed his eighth goal of the season, just before the Portuguese international grabbed his hat-trick to take the lead as the league's top scorer with 20 goals.

Camel Meriem then scored the visitors' sixth goal with two minutes to play.

 

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