It was expected, and it's now official. The players of OL raised their tenth trophy of champions of France. A performance celebrated at home at the Stade de Gerland with fans Lyon. A title obtained at the end of a season where OL remained undefeated until the end, with a good performance of the young Lyon generation who held the top match at Montpellier Hérault, and a 1-1 draw.

Montpellier and Lyon found themselves one week after the final of the Coupe de France, for a match where he remained for only stake the third place of the championship, that Juvisy could still delight the Héraultaises in case of defeat at Gerland. For Lyon, the time was a turnover, with a completely remodeled eleven, and the participation of many young players from the Lyons U19 around the most experienced Corine Petit and Line Hansen in central defense and Méline Gérard in goals. Also note the return of Claire Lavogez, holder today after a season undermined by injuries.

 

Montpellier in control for 45 minutes

A youth facing a Montpellier revancharde team, and came to the Rhone with his eleven-type and Virginia Torrecilla in place of Rumi Utsugi in midfield. A young Lyon side that perhaps explains the lack of bite of the players of Gérard Prêcheur early in the game. Jostled, we feel that the Lyonnaises have no control and too often lacks technical accuracy in the last 30 meters. Conversely, Montpellier takes his ease outside and dictates the tempo of the game, with many opportunities early on. Jakobsson is the first to give Sakina Karchaoui a corner kick in front of a header, as his head swings just over the bar. Then Andressa Alves, who tries his luck from afar with a coiled shot that takes the direction of the right corner of the Lyon goal, but sees his trajectory diverted a corner by a clapper Meline Gerard (8th). It was then Laetitia Tonazzi in the 12th minute then Sandie Toletti and Sofia Jakobsson (21st) who will be close to opening the scoring.

But we have to wait until the 38th minute to see Montpellier find the net. An action on the initiative of Sakina Karchaoui who comes crashing into the ball-in-the-box and combines with Sofia Jakobssson in pivot to 35 meters. Karchaoui continues his action and serves Jakobsson part in the back of the central defense. The Montpellier striker then adjusts Méline Gérard with a flat foot at the penalty box.

1-0 for Montpellier and a logical result at the break for a better organized team that wins its duels, especially in the middle. Inès Boutaleb, 17, and top scorer in U19 Lyonnaises has made some raids from its position forward center but failed to find the flaw, sometimes lacking support on his accelerations to the goal.

After the break, the Lyon rebellion
 
At half-time, Gérard Prêcheur made a first change by getting Inès Boutaleb out and replacing her with Yasmine Badache, another player from the U19 OL. But more than this entry, we felt that the entire Lyon team had changed. The youth of the Lyon team may have made it more difficult to start the match to adapt to the rhythm of the matches against the best teams of D1. But there is also the feeling that the Lyonnaises have perhaps over-respected their opponents and lacked aggressiveness and impact in the duels. A requirement recalled throughout the match by the coach Gérard Prêcheur and who felt the moment the return of the locker room with notably these accelerations of Mylaine Tarrieu right side at the beginning of the second period and which gave the island of the change of tone Lyonnais.
 
The first warning of this second act is a long shot from Eve Perrisset in the 47th minute that passes close to the goal of Laetitia Philippe. But the awakening of Lyon will find its most brilliant expression in the 57th minute with the equalizer of Delphine Cascarino. An action that will become a classic Lyonnais, with this long ball Corine Petit from the back and found Cascarino on the right side. Taking speed from the Montpellier defense, Delphine Cascarino sees Laetitia Philippe advanced and adjusts a clever lob from the right of the surface that leaves no chance to the Montpellier goalkeeper who may have lacked frankness in its output.
 
This equalizer is exulting Gerland stadium that would not want to celebrate this Decima with a defeat. After this goal, OL will continue to play match with Montpellier. Héraultaises who will have several opportunities to regain the advantage, including Laetitia Tonazzi who will have several situations in the Montpellier area including a goal that will be denied for offside at the start of the last quarter of an hour.
 
On the Lyon side, the young people are shocked at the image of Lucie Pingeon who will have a match point in the 87th minute. At the conclusion of a good collective movement of the players of the OL, Lucie Pingeon finds herself face to face with Laetitia Philippe but sees her attempt repelled by the keeper of the MHSC. A chance to take advantage and make the "hold-up" as Gerard Prêcheur said in an encounter where the draw seemed deserved.
 
Because the young team of Lyon managed to turn the tide and bring out of their match of the Montpellier who seemed sure of their fact in the first period. A second half where worries were added to the disappointment with the injury of Sandie Toletti and a possible fracture for the Montpellier player who could be part of the adventure of Rio. In spite of this disappointing last week on the accounting plan, with the Coupe de France and this draw in Gerland, Montpellier finishes the season to a good third place and especially has demonstrated throughout this championship its ability to upset the hierarchy facing Lyon and Paris.
 
 
 
Decima while waiting for Europe
 
If the young people did the work on the field, the usual holders made their appearance at the time of the presentation of the medals and the trophy given by Brigitte Henriques at the end of the meeting. A decima for Lyonnaise and her captain Wendie Renard who has known all the titles of OL, and which is one of the few with Camille Abily and Aurélie Kaci to have experienced the first coronation in the 2006/2007 season. The scorer of the day, Delphine Cascarino, she started football on the side of Saint-Priest in the Lyon region, and did not yet know the girls Olympique Lyonnais ...
 
For the rest of the players, the break this weekend should allow them to calmly tackle the final of the Champions League next Thursday in Italy, a final and inevitable deadline of the Lyon season.
 
 
 
Pictures: Maya Mans
Dounia MESLI