THE IMAGES
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Riise suffers headbutt |
Stevie G gets off the mark for the season |
Rafa congratulates his captain |
MATCH REPORT
Liverpool's season is well and truly back on track after they secured their place in the next stage of the Champions League.
This eventually convincing victory, coupled with PSV Eindhoven's triumph over Galatasaray, means Liverpool have qualified from group C with two games to spare.
Luis Garcia scored in each half - taking his Champions League tally for Liverpool to 10 - and Steven Gerrard finally grabbed his first of the season to settle things.
But had it not been for a crazy headbutt by Fernando Menegazzo on John Arne Riise on 66 minutes, with the score at 1-0, Bordeaux may well have grabbed something from the game.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez sprung the ultimate surprise when he named an unchanged side to face the French league runners-up.
After 99 successive matches tinkering with his side, the Liverpool boss opted to retain the team which beat Aston Villa at the weekend.
Bordeaux made five changes from the team which lost 1-0 to Liverpool a fortnight ago, but Vladimir Smicer, a Liverpool hero of Istanbul now with the French side, failed to make the 18 and took up a seat in the directors' box after a rousing ovation from the Kop.
Liverpool showed their intent with an opening minute move down the left which saw Gerrard hook over from Riise's cross.
Bordeaux needed to win to have any chance of going through themselves and opted for twin strikers and a more adventurous approach.
But that was upset on just 11 minutes when striker Marouane Chamakh limped off with a knee injury, Edixon Perea coming on as substitute.
The French were still keen to come forward and Menegazzo ran from midfield to fire just wide from 20 yards.
Liverpool found it difficult to break through the French back line until the 23rd minute and the goal came from a familiar route.
Luis Garcia has a habit of scoring in the Champions League and he was there just beyond the far post to meet a Gerrard cross with a left-foot volley which bounced away from Ulrich Rame into the far corner.
Gerrard's flick then gave Dirk Kuyt a sight of goal from 30 yards and he held off two defenders to send a shot fizzing wide of a post.
It was not until the 41st minute that Liverpool came close again, a Kuyt header just over from another Gerrard cross.
Bordeaux were first to threaten in the second half when on 47 minutes Florian Marange sent in a swerving 25-yarder that Jose Reina touched over.
Three minutes later Reina was in action again when Jean-Claude Darcheville was put clear, the Spanish goalkeeper blocking the close-range effort.
Mohamed Sissoko was booked on 55 minutes for a foul on Pierre Ducasse, and two minutes later Liverpool sent on Bolo Zenden in place of Alonso.
Bordeaux continued to make life uncomfortable for Liverpool, Micoud pulling the strings, the threat of an equaliser always there. The French team then replaced Darcheville with Gabriel Obertan.
Gerrard fired wide from a good position and a misplaced pass soon after showed that the Liverpool skipper was not quite on his game.
Then what had been a tepid game produced a red card and a row over a Sissoko tackle.
Referee Markus Merk calmed the uproar and opted to take no further action, with Liverpool taking a quick throw and racing away before Merk pulled them back and awarded the throw to Bordeaux.
But the French were furious and Menegazzo lost his cool and headbutted Riise on 66 minutes, Merk immediately waving the red card.
That was the incentive Liverpool needed to take control, and on 71 minutes Gerrard scored his first goal of the season when Zenden put him clear down the middle.
Rio Antonio Mavuba then came on for Micoud and on 76 minutes Liverpool had their third. Mavuba made a dreadful error to gift the ball to Luis Garcia who raced into the box to blast home his second of the game.
Paul Walker, PA Sport
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MEDIA/PRESS REPORTS
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GOALS: Luis Garcia 22, Gerrard 71, Luis Garcia 78 
