Lyon seek second win on Soyaux date as PSG look to keep pressure: D1 Arkema Week Two Preview
ASJ Soyaux will be hard-pressed to stop a marauding Lyon side when they date the reigning champions away on Sunday afternoon.
Fresh from a 5-1 victory over Stade Reims where their frontline exhibited a scoring master-class, the champions will be eager to continue their relentlessness when they face the visiting team’s rear-guard.
With trusted goal-getter Ada Hegerberg still out injured, the onus will firmly be placed on Daniëlle van de Donk who smashed a brace past Stade Reims on matchday one.
ASJ Soyaux will have to be at their best to starve the Lyon strikers with the battle-hardened Siga Tandia having to be at her best at the heart of the visitors’ defence.
Elsewhere, D1 Arkema’s new-kids-on-the-block Rodez Aveyron welcome former champions Paris Saint-Germain at Stade Paul Lignon on Saturday hoping to upset the apple cut with a victory against the seasoned campaigners.
Having posted a comfortable 2-0 victory against ASJ Soyaux on opening day, Les Rouge-et-Bleu will be out to post another victory and the frontline of Kadidiatou Diani and Lieke Martens, who scored a goal apiece last week, will be hoping to continue to build a solid womance in front of goal.
Meanwhile, Rodez will be out to get started in this division having succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Paris FC on the opening day.
Last season’s third place finishers Paris FC make a trip to last season’s fourth place finishers FC Fleury on Friday evening in what is arguably the biggest game of the weekend.
The hosts, who scored three goals past En Avant Guingamp last weekend courtesy of a brace from forward Rosemonde Kouassi and a solitary strike from defender Julie Piga, will be hoping for a better outing having lost six, drawn thrice and won once in the last 10 meetings against the visitors.
Paris FC, however, will be eager to lay down a marker and continue with their upward trajectory amongst the big names of French football.
Forward-line lynchpin Clara Matéo and fellow striker Mathilde Bourdieu, who needed just 20 minutes after having subbed in to find the back of the net last weekend, hope to continue with their efforts in front of goal.
La Paillade, as Montpellier are affectionately known amongst the faithful, will be out to build some momentum going into the season when they visit Stade Reims on Saturday with a win rate of 67% against hosts.
Having helped their side to register a comfortable 3-0 victory on the first day of the campaign with important strikes, forward Nérilia Mondésir, who weighed in with a brace, and midfielder Faustine Robert, with a single strike, will be out to inflict pain on the backline of Julie Pasquereau and crew who leaked five goals against Lyon last weekend.
Bordeaux, fresh from a 4-2 clobbering of Le Havre, make a 723.7-kilometre trip north for a date with Dijon on Saturday.
With the luxury of a steep 87%-win rate and having run to ground their opponents for this weekend in their previous eight meetings, Les Girondins will look to midfielder Maëlle Garbino to provide the goals having netted two in her last outing in the blue and white stripe.
Dijon, on the other hand, will be looking to recover from an early season setback which is a 3-0 defeat to Montpellier in their season opener and will turn to defender Małgorzata Grec to steady their rear end.
Le Havre will be hoping to register their first victory in the division when they host early season strugglers and 11th placed Guingamp on Sunday.
Le havre are coming from a 4-2 clobbering by Bordeaux last weekend, a result which left them seventh place on the standings, whilst Guingamp are coming from a 3-0 defeat to FC Fleury last weekend.
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FIXTURES (Friday): FC Fleury vs. Paris FC (18:30)
FIXTURES (Saturday): Dijon vs. Bordeaux 14:30); Stade Reims vs. Montpellier (14:30); Rodez vs. PSG (14:30)
FIXTURES (Sunday): Le Havre vs. Guingamp (12:45); Lyon vs. Soyaux-Charente (15:00)
All times are Central European Time (CET)