Small mistakes on clearances and individual mistakes by Brann contributed to a tough start to the match in South-East France. After just six minutes, Kadidiatou Diani put the hosts in the lead, after Karoline Haugland made a mistake and sent the ball straight to her in her own half. Lyon increased to both 2–0 and 3–0 before Brann had his reduction. Lyon’s second goal, scored by Ada Stolsmo Hegerberg, also came after Brann messed it up in his own defence. In the 72nd minute, Rakel Engesvik put the ball in the net after preparation by Signe Gaupset, and with that there was a new boost in the Bergen team. – It was very fun. Of course tough. We really get to know the level and they punish us hard when we make mistakes. It is of course boring to lose, but we really get to see where the list is, says Gaupset to news shortly after the end of the match. – We definitely gave them two goals because of our personal mistakes, but we will learn from this. The second half was a really good performance. There were many positives to take away from it, says Brann coach Martin Ho. In the second match in the group, it ended 0-0 between St. Pölten and Sparta Praha, which means that Brann still has a good grip on second place in the group: – Unique experience It was 9pm on Wednesday night when Brann met Lyon at the Groupama Stadium. Brann had everything to gain and nothing to lose. Lyon have won the Champions League eight times, and have not conceded a single goal in their last six group stage matches. – It is a unique experience and you are lucky to experience the pressure here and the setting here. It is something we as a group can learn a lot from. And then I think we’ll be able to bite back, said goalkeeper Aurora Mikalsen before the match. Lowest ranked This is the third group stage match Brann is playing. Brann was initially both the lowest ranked and the underdog in their group, but still had two wins going into the match against Lyon. In their championship debut, they beat St. Pölten 1–2 in Austria. Just over a week later, the first match in history awaited on Bergen soil. Then Slavia Praha also had to see themselves beaten. Almost 9,000 people from Bergen had turned up to see the match still 1–0. With that, Brann had taken six out of six possible points. But it also had group favorite Lyon, who have won the European league eight times. They gave Slavia Praha a leaden start to the group stage: When the teams left the pitch, the score was 0-9 in the Czech capital. Later, Lyon beat St. Pölten 2–0. But even before the first game, Brann coach Martin Ho was clear that second place in the group and quarter-finals in the league is realistic. – It would be hopeless not to believe in it. But we must focus on ourselves. On playing our game. Then we will be able to strike, he said then. Martin Ho had faith that Brann could do well, also against group favorite Lyon. Photo: Mourad Allili / NTB Before leaving for France, he also believed that Brann could bite. – I never go to a match thinking that we cannot win or perform. If you have the day and luck with you, you perform and things go your way, then anything can happen no matter who you meet, he said on Monday. Lyon will come to Bergen next week After 24 minutes, Ada Hegerberg doubled Lyon’s lead to 2–0. The match was a rare chance for a Hegerberg duel, where she could face Andrine in a Brann outfit. But because older sister Andrine is still out with a knee injury, she had to stay in Bergen. The parents Gerd Stolsmo and Stein Erik Hegerberg were still in place in the stands. Ada Hegerberg is the top scorer in Champions League history. She also scored against Brann. Photo: Mourad Allili / NTB Ada’s autumn has also been marred by injury, as she has had a stress injury which, among other things, meant that she was not selected for the national team. – Ada is on her way back. Had she been all the way back, she would have scored two goals today, said father Hegerberg during the break. He thought it was perhaps “just as well” that Andrine was not ready for the match. – It is because Andrine is one of the few who has never lost to Ada, he said. There is still hope for a Hegerberg duel very soon. As early as next week, the table is set for another match between the teams. On Thursday 21 December, Brann takes on Lyon at Åsane arena, a match that was sold out in 23 minutes. Andrine Stolsmo Hegerberg is determined to succeed. – We can only cross our fingers and believe that she will be right. In any case, she is keen to get that match there, she said.
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Brann scored against Lyon in the group stage of the Champions League 2023 – A goal-rich game in France – news Vestland
