Jostle for top spot as Lyon, PSG play easy fixtures: D1 Arkema Week Four Preview

With their title defense seemingly up and running, and new signings bedded in, the feeling of another exciting season is gathering momentum and a game against bottom-placed Rodez at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais Saturday afternoon presents Lyon with a chance to cement a place at the top.

Having run to the ground all the teams they have faced in recent months and convinced all and sundry that they are, again, the team to beat this season, Les Gones will be eager not to let up.

The red-hot midfielder Daniëlle van de Donk, with three goals in three games, will look to provide the goals for her team in the absence of striker Ada Hegerberg who is out with an injury. Other goal-scorers Delphine Cascarino and Melvine Malard, who have been trusted to lead the offensive, will be eager to join the party and also join the long list of fellow scorers having weighed in with a goal each so far this season.

Rodez, on the other hand, winless in three attempts and seemingly finding the going tough amongst the big-guns, will look to build on a strong performance, albeit in the losing corner, exhibited against ASJ when they dominated every statistic but the goals last week.

Elsewhere, second place occupants Paris Saint-Germain make a trip to ninth placed Le Havre in Sunday’s only fixture hoping crank-up the pressure at the top.

Meeting only for the third-time in recent history with the pendulum firmly swung in favor of the visiting side with a 100% win-rate, a win will clearly be on the menu for Les Parisiens.

The attacking pair of Kadidiatou Diani and Lieke Martens, and free-scoring midfielder Grace Geyoro — who all enjoyed another brilliant European night by providing the breakthrough when they needed it the most in their 2-0 UEFA Women's Champions League (UWCL) win away to Swedish giants Bollklubben Häcken  — will be eager to carry on with the scoring impetus, having already registered an impressive return of seven league goals amongst them.

Le Havre, on the other hand, will be eager to fight on and put some points on the board having posted three points thus far this season courtesy of a 1-0 win against Guingamp a fortnight ago.

Dijon Football Côte-d'Or, having posted their first victory against league strugglers En Avant de Guingamp last week, will be aiming for their first full set of points on home turf when they lock horns with third-ranked Paris FC at home on Saturday.

Paris FC will be eager to maintain their grip on third, a position they have become accustomed to having finished there last season.

With an impressive eight wins from nine meetings against Dijon, the Sandrine Soubeyrand coached outfit will be aiming for another win and attackers Clara Matéo and Mathilde Bourdieu will be out to add to a single goal each scored so far this season.

Montepellier entertain sixth-placed FC Girondins de Bordeaux hoping for immediate recovery having lost to reigning champions Lyon last week.

Forward Nérilia Mondésir, who endured a torrid shift against a miserly Lyon backline on matchday two, will be eager to quickly return amongst the goals and add to the three goals scored this season.

Defender Luna Gevitz will look to quickly dust herself up from the horror of conceding three goals against Lyon and help the team back to winning ways.

Bordeaux, smarting from a 1-0 humbling at the hands of Stade de Reims, hope that midfielder Maelle Garbino has recovered from the disappointment of last week’s result to add to the three goals scored in the first two matches.

FC Fleury 91 welcome ASJ Soyaux-Charente to Stade Lascombes on Saturday with the sole aim of putting their last-minute defeat to PSG last weekend behind them.

Forward Rosemonde Kouassi will be hoping to make a goal scoring return having missed last week’s encounter through suspension. The forward, who was in red-hot form before the suspension, has her impressive numbers at three goals already this season.

Midfielder Léa Le Garrec also makes a welcome return from suspension.

On the other hand, Soyaux-Charente will be hoping to build on last week’s 2-0 win over Rodez.

Striker Jessy Roux will aim to pick-up from last week and remain amongst the goals having registered an ice-breaking goal against Rodez.

Attacking midfielder Laura Bourgoin will be hoping to continue supplying assists to her frontline having done so twice last week.

Stade de Reims host struggling En Avant de Guingamp on Saturday afternoon hoping to continue from where they left off and register a second victory on the bounce.

Right-winger Kethna Louis will look to influence proceedings in the offensive half having registered the goal that helped her team to emerge victorious last week.

Guingamp have a lot of ground to cover as they have not been able to put points on the table so far this season and will have their work cut out in trying to shake-off the punching bag tag that has been associated with them.

Click on a match below to follow it Live! on forzafootball.com and on the Forza Football App

FIXTURES: Friday 30 September, 2022 (21:00) Montpellier HSC vs FC Girondins de Bordeaux

FIXTURES: Saturday 01 October, 2022 (14:30) Olympique Lyonnais vs Rodez Aveyron Football

FIXTURES: Saturday 01 October, 2022 (14:30) FC Fleury 91 vs ASJ Soyaux-Charente

FIXTURES: Saturday 01 October, 2022 (14:30) Dijon Football Côte d'Or vs Paris FC

FIXTURES: Saturday 01 October, 2022 (14:30) Stade de Reims vs En Avant Guingamp

FIXTURES: Sunday 2 October, 2022 (12:45) Le Havre AC vs Paris Saint-Germain FC

All Times are Central European Time (CET)