Olympique Lyonnais (OL) validated its place for the final of the first league, the French women’s football championship, beating Dijon (4-1), Sunday, May 11, in the semi-finals of the Playoffs. The Fenottes will play the title, Friday May 16, against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) or Paris FC; The two clubs in the capital compete at 9 p.m. at the Parc des Princes.
Faced with a sparse audience, contained in the front rows of a Groupama Stadium, however enthusiastic, the outgoing champions unrolled their science of the goal against their rivals of the day. Eugénie Le Sommer, the best marker in the history of the Rhone club, added a 302e Unit to its counter, by opening the mark with a powerful strike at the entrance to the opposing surface (1-0, 20e), taking a disorganized Dijon defense on the back.
An offensive demonstration of the Fenottes, through an implementation of the head of the American Lindsey Heaps (2-0, 45E + 2), then an opportunistic opportunity, at the time of play, seized by the Canadian defender Vanessa Gilles (3-0).
The winner of the 2018 Ballon d’Or, the Norwegian Ada Hegerberg closed the debates (4-0, 86e), deceiving the Finnish goalkeeper of Dijon, Katriina Talaslahti one final time. The copy would have been perfect without this moment of inattention at the end of the meeting, who saw the Lyonnaises being surprised by the Austrian Viktoria Pinther (4-1, 89e).
The victory remains without appeal, as the level gap was too pronounced. What Noémie CARAGE, central defender of the Bourguignon club, accepted at halftime: “We knew it was going to be very difficult, here we are against the best team in the championship, even in Europe. »»
If OL left ultra-front of this meeting, the stake was no less size. A misstep would have condemned him to a season without trophy-which has not happened since the year 2020-2021. Beaten on penalties by Reims (0-0; 10 tab at 9) in the knockout stages of the French Cup in mid-January, the Lyonnaises mainly experienced a terrible disillusionment in the Champions League, eliminated by Arsenal in the last square, after an incredible counter-performance, at home, during the return round on April 27 (1-2; 1-4).
Because although having finished widely at the top of the regular season (62 points, 10 more than PSG, 2e) and unbeaten in the league, the players of coach Joe Montemurro must still, since the establishment of the playoffs by the French Federation (FFF) in 2024, to win two duels cups in order to win an 18e Championship title.
PSG has “no choice”
In the other semi-final of the day, PSG also hopes to save its season, a week after its defeat in the National Cup final … against Paris FC (0-0, 5 tab at 4). “We must quickly forget this match”had reacted in the process, his captain Paulina Dudek.
Newsletter
“Sport”
Surveys, reports, analyzes: sports news in your email box every Saturday
Register
Especially since the week was tumultuous with the layout of coach Fabrice Abriel on Monday, criticized as much for his results as for his management. There was also a stormy exchange between the sports director of the club, Angelo Castellazzi, and the striker Star Marie-Antoinette Katoto, at the end of the contract and on the departure. “We have no choice. (…) We have to look in front, be positive to move forward ”insisted, on Friday, the interim coach of PSG, Paulo César.
The task promises to be all the more complicated as the PFC – led by the best player and rider in the Clara Mateo championship – is in a completely opposite dynamic. And the group intends to offer a final to its captain, Gaëtane Thiney, who retires at the end of the season.