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A host of Ligue 1 stars have paid tribute to Paris Saint-Germain striker Pedro Pauleta, who has confirmed his status as France’s top marksman this season.
The Portuguese striker has netted 12 goals in 17 games so far this season, five more than his closest challengers Daniel Cousin and Luigi Pieroni.
Scorer of 65 goals in three seasons at Bordeaux, Pauleta is firing on all cylinders again in the capital after an unusual dip last season when he scored just 14 goals, allowing Alexander Frei to claim the Golden Boot award.
Portugal’s all-time record scorer (42 international goals) has found the back of the net 109 times in 187 Ligue 1 matches, and is easily the most feared forward in the country.
Pauleta’s PSG teammate Sylvain Armand said: “He’s the best forward in Ligue 1”, while fellow defender Mario Yepes added: “He’s been the best for three years.”
Nantes striker Habib Bamogo agreed with the duo from the capital. “There isn’t anyone better than him in France right now, and Marama Vahirua claimed: “If he was at Lyon he’d score more than 20 goals a season.”
Frei is the only forward who could feasibly compete with Pauleta, but the Rennes ace dismissed the suggestion that he is on a par with the 32-year-old.
“He's certainly the best striker in Ligue 1,” Frei said. “I don’t want to be disrespectful to PSG, but I find it astonishing that Pauleta isn’t playing for a team like Manchester United or Barcelona.
"I don’t know if the scouts have tomatoes in front of their eyes, but something isn’t quite right.”
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