Derby delight for PSG as Lyon’s eight-some keeps atop: D1 Arkema Week 10 Round Up
The Paris derby was settled by a solitary strike from striker Sandy Baltimore as Paris Saint Germain emerged victorious for the umpteenth time against their local rivals Paris FC at Stade Sébastien Charléty on Sunday.
A cagey first-half saw little goal-mouth action as both teams sized each other up in search of a goal.
A yellow card for the visitors’ defender Amanda Ilestedt in the sixth-minute was the major event for the first-half as the war of attrition ensued between the city rivals.
Upon resuming the second-half and after undertaking some checks and balances, Sandrine Soubeyrand rang changes to her team in an effort to curve open the PSG rear-guard. The introduction of midfielder Coumba Sow for Sophie Vaysse, in a like-for-like substitution on minute 46, failed to give the home side control as they were to concede nine minutes later when Sandy Baltimore was fed by taliswoman Kadidiatou Diani to find the breakthrough.
Another attacking change saw Paris FC hook-off midfielder Ouleymata Sarr for striker Louise Fleury but PSG countered the change bringing in defensive additions of Estelle Cascarino for midfielder Oriane Jean-François at the death to shore-up the defense.
The win kept alive PSG’s quest for the top prize at the end of the season, making sure the gap stays at two points off top-ranked Lyon who have 28 points. As for Paris FC, the defeat kept them on 18 points and opens up a tussle for third spot as Montpellier narrowed the gap to two points.
Elsewhere, Les Gones struck five in the first half and three goals after the breather to register the weekend’s biggest victory when they clobbered Dijon 8-0 on Saturday.
Danish striker Signe Bruun was unstoppable as her hattrick helped Lyon dismantle a hapless Dijon side who are still searching for their third victory of their campaign.
First to strike was attacker Janice Cayman when she headed home in the ninth minute. Bruun opened her account in the 31st minute when she headed home from close quarters. Sustained pressure from the reigning champions resulted in an own goal from defender Madeline Roth in the 35th minute gave the home team side further advantage.
The champions were to score two more goals in quick succession through Selma Bacha and Signe Bruun in the 40th and 42nd minute respectively to put the game beyond the visitors.
Bruun sealed her threesome four minutes into the second-half when she turned home a pass from Vicki Becho, who subbed-in for fellow attacker Delphine Cascarino in the second-half. Bruun turned provider when her perfectly laid through ball found Selma Bacha to smash home for Lyon’s seventh of the afternoon.
Signe Bruun capped-off a quintet of goal involvements when her inch-perfect pass found teenage winger Inès Benyahia to give the home team an unassailable 8-0.
The victory gave the champions a perfect dress rehearsal as they prepare for the mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash against arch-rivals Paris SG next weekend.
The win was enough to see them end the weekend on 28 points, two points ahead of second-placed PSG.
Spoils were shared on Friday night when Montpellier HSC played to a 1-1 draw against FC Fleury 91.
Attacker Faustine Robert converted a sixth minute spot-kick to give the hosts an early lead. The goals took Faustine’s goal tally to five.
Midfielder Airine Fontaine restored parity in the 41st minute to ensure the encounter went for the breather 1-1.
The second-half saw an attritional war ensue as both teams searched for the second goal. A double substitution from Montpellier which saw Inès Belloumou make way for Maelys Mpomé and Marion Torrent sub out for Esther Mbakem-Niaro in the 65thminute ignited a flurry of changes for both teams.
Sarah Kassi swapped places with goal-scorer Airine Fontaine for the visitors in the 79thminute but this and all the other changes from both teams failed to give fresh impetus in their search for victory.
The result saw Montpellier retain their fourth rank with 16 points and FC Fleury stay put on fifth having collected 15 points.
FC Girondins de Bordeaux posted their second successive win for the first time this campaign when they condemned Rodez Aveyron Football to a 3-1 defeat at Stade Sainte-Germaine on Saturday.
In a match they needed to be on top of their game having lacked the needed consistency to churn-out wins regularly, the home side started on the front foot, setting-up base in their opponent’s half for the greater part of the first quarter of an hour.
Their probing was rewarded in the 21st minute when rear-guard Julie Thibaud found the breakthrough. Maelle Garbino then took her season’s goal tally to seven when a Mélissa Gomes pass found her on the prowl five minutes after the first goal.
The second stanza started in the same balance of play, with the home side relentlessly pushing for the third goal.
Their sustained pressure was rewarded in the 59th minute when striker Mélissa Gomes turned home a Garbino perfectly weighted pass to kill the match as a contest. An own goal in the 75th minute from defender Andréa Lardez gave the visitors some consolation in what later turned out to be a case of too little, too late.
The win was enough to take Bordeaux’s point tally to 15, just three off third-placed Paris FC who lost 1-0 to PSG on Sunday.
The loss meant Rodez remain rooted on 11th place, just a point above bottom-placed Guingamp.
Stade de Reims recovered from a second minute setback to wrestle maximum points from Le Havre AC in a 3-1 win at Stade Louis Blériot N°2 in Bétheny on Saturday afternoon.
American forward Sh'Nia Gordon gave the visitors the lead two minutes after kick-off when she latched on to a pass from compatriot Deja Nicole Davis.
The goal separated the teams for 25 minutes only for midfielder Kessya Bussy to restore parity in the 28th minute off a Sonia Ouchène assist yards from midfield.
The teams retreated for the half-time a goal apiece and the home side started on the front foot again in the second-half. Ouchène added her name to the score sheet when she combined well with winger Thelma Eninger in 62nd minute to set the team for a win. Kessya Bussy completed her brace in the 85thminute to seal the victory for the home team.
The win ensured Reims leap-frogged their opponents to seventh on the log with 14 points. Le Havre, on the other hand, surrendered their league position, dropping to eighth with 13 points.
Rock-bottom En Avant Guingamp finally bagged maximum points when they beat 10thplaced ASJ Soyaux-Charente 3-1 at Stade Centre Formation EAG 1 on Saturday.
Two quick-fire goals from midfielder Sarah Cambot in the 17th minute and Nina Gwenael Richard hardly 60 seconds later gave the home side enough spring in their step in search of their first win.
Forward Drepoba Stéphanie Gbogou gave the visitors some glimmer of hope in the 82ndminute when she smashed home a pass from wing-back Morgane Belkhiter.
Guingamp restored their two-goal cushion barely a minute later when Cambot completed her brace off an Aissata Traoré assist.
The win gave the bottom-placed team their first win of the season, some positive vibe as they attempt to steer clear off the drop zone.
RESULTS (FRIDAY): Montpellier HSC 1-1 FC Fleury 91.
RESULTS (SATURDAY): Olympique Lyonnais 8 – 0 Dijon Football Côte d'Or; En Avant Guingamp 3-1 ASJ Soyaux-Charente; FC Girondins de Bordeaux 3-1 Rodez Aveyron Football; Stade de Reims 3-1 Le Havre.
RESULTS (SUNDAY): Paris FC 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain FC.