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Paris Saint-Germain resurrected their fading championship hopes with a deserved 2-0 win over Bordeaux at the Stade Chaban-Delmas on Sunday.
PSG hadn't won a League match at Bordeaux since 1988 and had registered just one away win (v Sochaux) in six attempts so far this campaign.
Coach Laurent Fournier opted for the element of surprise by dropping underperforming pair Modeste M'Bami and Bonaventure Kalou to the bench.
Regular left-back Sylvain Armand replaced M'Bami alongside Edouard Cissé in the middle of the park while Fabrice Pancrate got a rare start on the right of a three-man support team, playing just behind the lone striker Pedro Pauleta.
The ploy seemed to work with Ricardo's players struggling to find their marks against a rigorous pressing game from the capital club.
Former Bordeaux hitman Pauleta went close to opening the mark after 15 minutes when Vikash Dhorasoo got the better of Rio Mavuba and played in the Portugal skipper. Pauleta made space for the shot but was unable to beat Ulrich Ramé under pressure from Kodji Afanou.
PSG finally went ahead on 36 minutes when Colombian defender Mario Yepes headed home David Rozehnal's flick after Bordeaux had failed to clear a free-kick. The home-side appealed heatedly for an offside flag but while Pauleta was occupying a passive offside position, Yepes was in line with the final defender.
Shortly after the pause the capital club ensured the historic win and again it was the Dhorasoo - Pauleta combination that struck the killer blow. The France international midfielder turned away from trouble in the centre of the park and laid the ball on into the path of his striker.
Pauleta's first touch eliminated Afanou, before he nudged the ball onto his right foot, and placed a sumptuous curling shot low to Ramé's left to register his eighth goal of the campaign.
The win sees Paris-SG climb ahead of Bordeaux into second place with a greater number of goals scored, with 27 points, 12 shy of runaway leaders Lyon.
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