Win or bust for Bordeaux

By Ben Lyttleton

Trailing 2-1 from the home leg of their UEFA Cup quarter-final against Valencia CF, FC Girondins de Bordeaux face an uphill task on Wednesday night if they are to reach the last four. Coach Michel Pavon is well aware that the French side are now rank outsiders to succeed.

'Overwhelming favourites'
Late goals from Rubén Baraja and Francisco Rufete cancelled out an early strike from Albert Riera at the Stade Chaban-Delmas last Thursday, in a match where Bordeaux had midfield player Antonio Mavuba sent off. "If Valencia don't get through it will be a real shock as they're the overwhelming favourites," Pavon told uefa.com.

Unjust result
"We certainly didn't deserve to lose the first match," he added. "We were really unlucky. It was a real blow letting in those goals when my young team had done so well. Don't forget, this Valencia team are top of La Liga, so we were on course for a shock. Now our chances are extremely slim. But we're not going there to lose, or with the idea of losing."

Missing players
To add to the coach's worries, striker Marouane Chamakh and defender Franck Jurietti join Mavuba on the suspended list, while first-choice forward Jean-Claude Darcheville is still out with a knee injury. So the pressure will be on Brazilian front man Deivid De Souza or youngster Juan Pablo Francia, who is Bordeaux's second top-scorer this season with six goals.

'No choice'
"We're not helped by our injury situation or the fact that three players are suspended," Pavon said. "That's why we've been playing with just one up front: it's not my cup of tea, I would prefer to play with two forwards, but I haven't had a lot of choice in the matter."

Striking inexperience
The lack of experience in attack is a concern to Pavon, who is in his first term as a coach after replacing Elie Baup last October. The former midfield player, a championship winner with Bordeaux in 1999, said: "We saw in the first game that the big teams only need a half-chance to score a goal when we often need four or five opportunities."

'We have to believe'
But despite scoring only 30 goals in 31 league games, Bordeaux can take confidence from their away record in Europe this season - they are unbeaten, having won two and drawn two of four matches. "If we manage to score the first goal, anything can happen," Pavon added. "Even a team like Valencia can get a bit worried so we have to go there with that in mind and have to believe in our chances."

Freedom of movement
Pavon is convinced the first-leg result will give his players the freedom to enjoy their Mestalla outing. "The thing is, we have nothing to lose," he said. "Nobody expects us to get through, so there is no weight of expectation on our shoulders and sometimes that freedom can work in your favour."

Monaco precedent
Perhaps Bordeaux can draw strength from the performance of AS Monaco FC in the UEFA Champions League. Didier Deschamps' men were 4-2 down against Real Madrid CF after their quarter-final first leg and went on to win 5-4 on aggregate. In a season of wondrous fortune for Ligue 1 clubs, Valencia will know there are few things more dangerous than a French side with nothing to lose.