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Bordeaux, France. Ireneusz Jelen scored twice in the second half on Wednesday to give Auxerre a 2-1 away win over French league leader Bordeaux.

Defending champion Bordeaux, which has one game in hand, still tops the standings on goal difference. Bordeaux and Montpellier have 52 points each, just one more than Auxerre, which moved up to third.

“We’re thankful for the victory, which we didn’t expect before the match,” Auxerre coach Jean Fernandez said. “We leave with three points, we’re on a good run and I really enjoyed it, even when my team was struggling in the first half.”

After a 1-1 draw at home against Montpellier over the weekend, Laurent Blanc’s team was looking to bounce back and move three points clear at the top of the league but instead conceded its second home loss this season.

Going through a poor run of results, Bordeaux has managed just one win in its last five league matches.

The match had been due to take place in February but was pushed back to give Bordeaux time to prepare for the first leg of its Champions League last-16 tie at Greek side Olympiakos, which it won 1-0.

Benoit Tremoulinas’ lucky goal in the first half had given the home side a 1-0 lead but Bordeaux was overwhelmed after the interval.

“Unfortunately, I won’t have happy memories of my first goal in Ligue 1,” Tremoulinas said.

Having recovered from a hamstring injury that kept him out for a month, Bordeaux captain Alou Diarra started the game, while Jaroslav Plasil and Geraldo Wendel were replaced by Gregory Sertic and Jussie in the starting lineup. Diarra asked to be replaced at halftime because of pains in his left thigh.

Bordeaux started strongly and quickly opened the scoring when Tremoulinas’ cross from the left was deflected by Pedretti, who lobbed his own goalkeeper Olivier Sorin in the seventh minute.

The Auxerre players looked demoralized and struggled to recover, failing to keep possession for long periods.

France playmaker Yoann Gourcuff served up Gregory Sertic with a beautiful pass in the 16th minute but Sorin palmed the midfielder’s powerful strike onto the bar.

Auxerre improved in the second half and Jelen leveled in the 63rd with a left-foot strike after being set up by Daniel Niculae.

The Poland striker struck his ninth goal of the season six minutes before the end, sending the ball onto the bar before scoring from the rebound. 



Associated Press