For his last game of the year, PSG won at Camp des Loges against Olympique Lyonnais. On the occasion of the 11th day in D1, we can even speak of a historic victory since it is the first home victory of PSG against Lyon in all competitions. A 1-0 success thanks to a goal from Marie-Laure Delie, in a meeting where Lyonnaises have yet seemed to master from start to finish ...

This may be the only way Paris could win this meeting, and they did it. A goal against, of course, on a strike from elsewhere Marie-Laure Delie, and a heroic defense, with a Katarzyna Kiedrzynek flawless in Parisian goals.

Will this match be the exception that confirms the rule of Lyon supremacy or the beginning of a new deal? In recent years, the success of Paris won against OL, have often been followed by heavy defeats against the now rivals Rhone. However, on the night of this match, the Parisian women have the right to enjoy a victory that places them alone at the top of the championship without having conceded any goal or left any point on the road.

The ball was for Lyon
For this last game of 2016, difficult to bet on a victory of PSG. If Paris has resources, OL seemed on paper, a step up with a team now complete, reinforced by the return of several wounded. However, this gap seemed paradoxically bring water to the mill of the Parisian challenger. A younger Paris team, with less big names, but a group that seems to live well around a coach who knows Lyon by heart.

The beginning of the match was similar to the announced scenario. An OL attacking the floor, with the first minutes, some opportunities for the Lyonnaises. A center Jessica Houara Hommeaux right side, is poorly judged by Katarzyna Kiedrzynek and Dzsenifer Marozsan is close to open the score but his recovery of the head passes to the left of the goal. Three minutes later we find Marozsan in the box, this time by Pauline Bremer but his recovery is again missing the goal.

Pauline Bremer, very restless early in the game, is lined up on the right in a 3-5-2 where Jessica Houara is positioned at the back alongside Wendie Renard and Griedge Mbock. On the other side, on the left is Amel Majri who takes the corridor. Majri is also in the 12th minute, who enjoys a game of three with Kumagai and Hegerberg to escape left side and challenge Katarzyna Kiedrzynek. Her shot deflected by the PSG goalkeeper was finally pushed back in front of her line by Irene Paredes before Ada Hegerberg struck again but failed to find the frame.

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Pauline Bremer led the hard life to Eve Perisset on the right side of the Lyon attack

The actions follow each other on the Lyon side and for Paris, the first real sequence of possession in the Lyonnais camp at the quarter of an hour of play is close to turning into occasion of goal for the OL. Almost resigned to defend, Paris is solid in duels. Balls won which are each time greeted by the public of Saint-Germain, as if the match was more like resistance, a match played on equal strength.

In Paris, young people showed the example
In the Parisian collective, among the players who emerge in this role of indefatigable workers, we can mention Grace Geyoro and Aminata Diallo. Positioned in the axis in front of the defense, Aminata Diallo left a very good impression on this match, permanently present to interfere with the construction of the Lyon game against Dzsenifer Marozsan and Saki Kumagai.

A vigilance of all times that we find in Grace Geyoro, who showed a serenity on the verge of insolence, for one of his rare tenure in central defense alongside Laura Georges. Geyoro without complex, and who held head against Ada Hegerberg and Eugenie Le Sommer without ever giving the impression of trembling face two of the best attackers in Europe.

In attack, the PSG has more difficulty to project in numbers. On cons, the players are quickly outnumbered, and a poorly adjusted pass often cut short Paris attempts. In the 28th minute, Veronica Boquete managed to get rid of Wendie Renard before going on a strike that was too crushed to deceive the vigilance of Sarah Bouhaddi.

The best Parisian opportunity of the first period came finally from Aminata Diallo. Part in the back of the Lyon defense, she is well served by Eve Perisset and goes to the goal before stumbling on Sarah Bouhaddi out of his goals (33). A few minutes later, a counter Lyon led by Pauline Bremer resulted in a shot from Hegerberg to 18 meters but missing the frame (41).

To settle for the draw?

At the break, we say that Paris held the shock is why not hold the draw. The victory seems at that time out of reach for a PSG team that seems exposed whenever it manages to develop the game in the Lyon camp. On the side of OL, few shots framed, despite interesting situations when Amel Majri and Pauline Bremer has a little field to combine or hit.

 

At the beginning of the second period, the game's appearance seems the same despite a meeting that we feel little by little neutralized by the good organization in Paris that now prevents the OL to multiply the opportunities. A first strike from Le Sommer passes right from the goal in Paris (47th) before a long shot from Amel Majri ten minutes later, picked up by Kiedrzynek (57th).

 

 

 

Katarzyna Kiedrzynek, an evening without false note for PSG goalkeeper

 

At the hour of play, the two coaches make changes with Camille Abily replacing Dzsenifer Marozsan in midfield, while Perle Morroni knows his first minutes of play since September and a shoulder injury. She takes the place of Eve Perisset who had strong deal in the left corridor against Pauline Bremer.

 

A passage after the hour of play where Paris seems close to the break. A first shot from Abily is well captured by Kiedrzynek (63) obliged despite all to relax on his right. Moments later, Ada Hegerberg misses a first match point. The Parisian defense is struggling to clear, and the ball returns several times towards the goal, and Ada Hegerberg is found in striking position against the goal. Embarrassed by the exit of Kiedrzynek, Hegerberg sends the ball to the left of the goal in Paris (65th).

 

In place of Pauline Bremer (65), Delphine Cascarino is also prominent but no more successful with a shot from far captured by Kiedrzynek. The last change Lyon sees the entrance of Elodie Thomis (76th, instead of Eugénie Le Sommer) who also comes out of a long unavailability, and who played tonight his first minutes of the season. In this last quarter of an hour, the feeling settles to see how last season in Charlety, both teams settle for this draw and to postpone in May the decision between the two teams.

 

Delie in a flash

But Paris is still on the lookout for the few cons that first allow the PSG to breathe between two offensives Lyon. One of them will prove decisive in the 83rd minute. A long balloon Wendie Renard in the Paris camp is intercepted by Irene Paredes. Then Vero Boquete accelerates in the axis and finally manages to serve Marie-Laure Delie right side.

 

While Cristiane stands as a solution to the far post, Marie-Laure Delie chooses to hit the goal at the limit of 16 meters right side. Is Sarah Bouhaddi lobed or does she see the ball above the crossbar? Still, Delie's shot ends in the small net opposite after passing under the crossbar goal of Lyon.

 

 

 

Marie-Laure Delie and Aminata Diallo, in the arms of one another. The two players were, each in their own way, decisive in this match against OL

 

A goal come from any point of view and that reverses the game at a time when Paris seemed to have resigned. In the last minutes of the match, Lyon grows again but the goal is denied to the defending champions. A strike by Elodie Thomis countered in extremis by Irene Paredes (85th) before a new attempt by Amel Majri in the box after a combination on the left with Ada Hegerberg but Kiedrzynek then Paredes repels Majri attempts (87th).

 

Despite a possession even in the final seconds of the match, the score will remain in the advantage of PSG who holds his first win at home against OL, a performance that also allows the teammates of Shirley Cruz to take sole head of the championship before the truce and to be the only team unbeaten, and otherwise without conceding any goal.

 

So many green lights, with a stadium George Lefèvre de Saint-Germain that brought luck to the players of Patrice Lair with victories against Montpellier, Juvisy and Lyon. Full of points before a return phase where PSG will have to move on the field of his direct opponents and now the team tag to beat.

 

Photo: psg.fr

Dounia MESLI