The View From France

Jean-Pierre Thiesset rounds up the midweek action from the French teams competing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

JUVENTUS v OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS:

Lyon won away from home against Juventus (3-2) despite not being completely convincing. Juventus posed some problems to Lyon and led twice in the game (1 -0 then 2-1 at half time). Lyon came back towards the end of the match when Melvine Malard (a goal after 68 minutes and an assist on 88), Amandine Henry and Janice Cayman entered in the game on the 57^th minute mark. After these replacements, fatigue looked to have impacted on the Juventus’ players and the Italian side started to be less dangerous and had more and more difficulties containing Lyon attacks. Selma Bacha made a big impact on the game after her entrance in the last quarter and Melvine Malard was elected player of the match.

Still, Lyon were far from their best in this game against a team who are only three years old. Is it the end of a cycle for Lyon after losing against Paris St. Germain and winning without panache against Juventus in the UEFA Women’s Champions League last thirty-two? The return game and the other rounds will tell us!

Highlights of the game:

5^th: Yellow card for Kadeisha Buchanan (Lyon)

16^th: 1 – 0, Lina Hurtig (Juventus)

29^th: Yellow card for Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)

30th: 1 – 1, Wendie Renard (Lyon) penalty; Bonansea fouled Sakina Karchaoui

37^th: 2 – 1, Kadeisha Buchanan (Lyon) own goal.

44^th: Yellow card for Arianna Caruso (Juventus)

57^th: Melvine Malard replaced Nikita Parris

57^th: Amandine Henry (Lyon) replaced Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir

57^th: Janice Cayman (Lyon) replaced Delphine Cascarino

68^th: 2 – 2, Melvine Malard (Lyon); first goal in UEFA Women’s Champions League

74^th: Maria Alves (Juventus) replaced Barbara Bonansea

77^th: Selma Bacha (Lyon) replaced Amel Majri

84^th: Martina Rosucci (Juventus) replaced Lina Hurtig

87^th: Jodie Taylor (Lyon) replaced Sakina Karchaoui

88^th: 2 – 3, Saki Kumagai (Lyon); first assist of Melvine Malard in UWCL

GORNIK LECZNA v PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN:

Paris St. Germain won away from home against Gornik Leczna 2-0 in Poland. By scoring early in the game, just after the first quarter, PSG made the match easier. At half time, things were already looking pretty good for PSG with a 2-0 lead. In the first quarter of the second half, PSG had more opportunities to score (Jordyn Huitema 55, Sandy Baltimore 58 hit the post) but they were not able to add more goals to their total.

Highlights of the game:

17^th: 0 – 1, Jordyn Huitema (Paris)

25th: 0 – 2, Sandy Baltimore (Paris)

35th: Perle Moroni (Paris) out on injury; replaced by Jade Le Guilly (18 years old)

56th: Yellow card for Paulina Dudek (Paris)

61th: Roksana Ratajczyk (Leczna) replaced Jolanta Siwinska

75th: Hawa Sangaré (Paris) replaced Jordyn Huitema

83th: Océane Hurtre (Paris) replaced Kadidiatou Diani

83th : Laurina Fazer (Paris) replaced Sandy Baltimore

85th: Oliwia Rapacka (Leczna) replaced Patricia Hmirova