Tops
Without a doubt THE best player of the evening. Established as a left-back, the French international, as often, made the opposing defense dizzy. From the start of the match, it stood out thanks to a real offering placed on the head of Van de Donk, who was quick to open the score. The first act of the Bacha show, which continued until the end of the meeting. Formidable in her duo with the German Däbritz, she was a constant danger, with her incessant races and her quality as a center.
While the early opening score of the Lyonnaises could suggest a scenario similar to their first meeting of this European campaign, where the daughters of Sonia Bompastor won 9 to 0, the match ended with a score of 2 at 0. A “small” gap allowed by the numerous flights of Carina Schlüter, the German goalkeeper of the Austrian club. The 27-year-old made 10 saves against the world-class attackers she faced on Wednesday evening. She notably made an exceptional save in the 54th minute, diverting Horan’s header onto her crossbar with a beautiful horizontal shot. She avoided a defeat of a much greater magnitude for her team.
Flops
Ada Hegerberg, Kadidiatou Diani, Eugénie Le Sommer, Griedge Mbock… the names of the players who took to the pitch at Groupama Stadium on Wednesday evening could, by themselves, give nightmares to all the defenders of the football world. However, the only goals in the game were scored by a midfielder and a defender against her side. The fault lies in the recurring inefficiency of the Lyon attackers which did not allow them to give a more significant scale to their success. If Schlüter delivered an excellent match, Hegerberg and Le Sommer both missed opportunities that players of their caliber are accustomed to converting into goals. The Norwegian has not scored in the Champions League since the 2021-2022 season… and a goal in the final against Barcelona (3-1 victory for the Lyonnaises). This is all the bad that Lyon supporters wish her this season, but she could have done (much) better against Sankt-Pölten.
The women’s section of Olympique Lyonnais played its first European match of the season at home and, for the occasion, the doors of Groupama Stadium were opened to them. But despite the music of the Champions League which resonated, something to which the OL boys are no longer accustomed, the Stade des Lumières rang hollow. OL’s promise to offer hot chocolate to each supporter who came to brave the cold was not enough to fill the aisles. And despite the chants launched by the group of OL’ Angels supporters, and the director’s attempts to zoom in on the spectators, the public did not respond. Too bad, because the Fenottes are more partying than their male counterparts these days.