Women’s PSG moved closer to the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday by beating Ajax Amsterdam (3-1) on the 5th day of the group stage thanks to a double from its star Marie-Antoinette Katoto. Jocelyn Prêcheur’s players continue their flawless performance at the start of 2024. Paris accumulated victories in January: victories in D1 against Lille (6-0), Reims (4-0), then Bordeaux on Saturday (8- 1), and a qualification for the round of 16 of the Coupe de France against Rennes (4-0).
“We need to continue our series, put in a high-level performance and take the three points,” the coach had hoped on the eve of the match. And everything went as planned. With this victory, the Parisiennes are now first in Group C (9 points) ahead of Ajax (7 pts), Bayern (6 pts) and Roma (5 pts), who drew on Wednesday (2-2) . They have their destiny in hand but everything is still possible in this group (like the group phase of their male teammates) because the four teams can still qualify. The trip to Munich will therefore be decisive next Tuesday (9 p.m.), while Grace Geyoro’s teammates lost in the first leg (1-0) after a first defeat against Ajax (2-0).
After a failed start, Paris recovered with two consecutive victories against AS Roma and Wednesday evening against Ajax, under the eyes of the coach of the France team Hervé Renard, present at the Parc des Princes, whose stands were very sparse. Like the Parisian coach, he must have been satisfied with the performances of the French internationals including attackers Sandy Baltimore and Marie-Antoinette Katoto. After a lot of work from the first on the right side, “MAK” opened the scoring with a super scissor (7th). Before scoring a double (26th), served by captain Grace Geyoro, author of a recovery in the central circle and a nice opening towards the N.9.
Katoto even came close to scoring a hat-trick but narrowly missed Tabitha Chawinga’s cross, which finally found Grace Geyoro (3-1, 40th), remaining on the lookout in front of the Ajax goal. During his last 11 matches in all competitions, “MAK” has scored 11 goals and provided 3 assists since November 19. Good news on the offensive side. The Parisian defense was not calm all the time, particularly during the Ajax goal (31st), where Australian defender Clare Hunt was outpaced.
