Quest to conquer juxtaposed with fight for dominance as Lyon host fierce rivals PSG: D1 Arkema week 14 preview
• Olympique Lyon against Paris Saint-Germain remains notoriously unpredictable, giving the competition the climactic matchday 15 designed to showcase arguably the best soccer talents France can offer
· Lyon have been overwhelmingly dominant this campaign, but PSG are on the ascendancy and this fixture comes at the best possible time
A potential championship decider takes centre stage where Lyon host Paris Saint-Germain at the Groupama Stadium on Sunday evening.
For Lyon, keeping their unbeaten streak across all competitions this season features atop their agenda and doing so against their fiercest rival for the league gives that extra motivation.
A fixture they have dominated in recent years having won 11 times in their past 16 meetings with Les Parisiens, another gaudy humdinger beckons.
A team awash with goals, pelting beauties from everywhere across the front three-some of Ada Hegerberg, Eugénie Le Sommer and Lindsay Horan with eleven, nine and six goals respectively, Sonia Bompastor is spoilt for choice in selecting her attackers. Add Kadidiatou Diani, a player proving to be eager to serve others with inch-perfect passes with eight assists in 721 minutes, PSG will have their work cut-out trying to contain this attack.
The major downfall for Lyon is they will be without captain Wendie Renard for the eighth game running, having come out worst from a defensive duet in a game against Fleury on December the 3rd.
PSG, on the other hand, hopeful rather than expectant of a title this season, will be hoping to apply pressure on the log-leaders and prevent the hosts having a free hit at the title.
With Malawian import staking a strong claim for the golden boot award, trailing hard on the heels of Hegerberg with nine goals and seven assists in 865 D1 Arkema minutes this season, Paris will be out to redeem lost pride.
Meanwhile, third-placed Paris FC, seemingly all over the place in their quest to upset the apple cart, will make the trip to Stade Sainte-Germaine for a date with rock-bottom FC Girondins de Bordeaux on Saturday afternoon.
Having snatched a last-minute victory over Lille OSC, another side grappling with the relegation dogfight, last weekend, Paris FC will be looking to register a comfortable win over the other early relegation candidates.
With the fixture delicately poised at four wins, three draws and three defeats for Paris FC, The Blues will be eager to return to consistency in the league.
Strikers Gaëtane Thiney and Louise Fleury, with seven and six goals respectively in the league, will be eager to add to their goals in their fight to maintain pressure on the top scorers’ charts.
On the other hand, Bordeaux, firmly stuck in the fight for survival with a paltry six points from a possible 39 and reeling a goal deficit of -20, will have all to do as they try to climb up the ladder and mount a serious fight for survival.
Stade de Reims, the latest victim of the Lyon juggernaut with a 4-1 defeat, take on Montpellier in a battle for fourth at Stade Auguste-Delaune II on Friday.
Being the team boasting the most clean sheets, seven, in the league with Kinga Szemik proving hard to get past, Reims will be hoping their impressive defensive unit provides a firm foundation in the fight for position four.
Shana Chossenotte, with four goals in 950 minutes, will be eager to nudge ahead in the race for goals.
Montpellier, on the other hand, eager to cross the 20-goal mark, will look to striker Faustine Robert for the goals.
The visitors enjoy seven wins and two defeats in the past nine matches and will be eager to maintain their dominance over Reims.
Fleury, whose form has plummeted in recent weeks and have collected four points from a possible 15 in their last five matches, take on 10th placed Guingamp away at Stade Centre Formation EAG 1 on Saturday afternoon.
Having recently forced a share of the points against Paris Saint Germain, Fleury will be buoyed by the fight they exhibited to deny the second-placed side on 11 of the 12 occasions they had a shot on target.
Attacker-in-chief Ewelina Kamczyk, whose six goals and four assists in the league have been instrumental in ensuring her side remain with a fighting chance for a respectable finish this campaign, will be out to keep them goals coming.
On the other hand, Guingamp, struggling for goals with a meagre 11 thus far this season, will be eager to arrest their poor scoring return in the league.
Le Havre, who occupy position seven on the log having shown character to recover from a 2-0 defeat to Paris FC to record a comfortable 4-2 win against an in-form Saint-Étienne last week, travel to Complexe Sportif Stadium 2 for a date with 11th placed Lile OSC on Saturday afternoon.
With striker Inès Benyahia having gotten back amongst the goals, scoring in a 1-1 draw against PSG last weekend, since the 10th of December, Romain Djoubri will be hoping that the striker returns to her scoring form to help the side as they prepare to enter the business end of the league.
As for Lille OSC, a side that seems to have found the going tough amongst the big girls, will be remaining hopeful for a surge in form as they look to avoid the dreaded chop.
Coach Rachel Saïdi, who masterminded promotion into D1 Arkema with some free-flowing football, will be eager to wave the magic wand in her attempt to negotiate her side’s torrid last few games in which they have lost four and drawn once.
Saint-Étienne, a side enjoying some fine form in recent matches with three wins and two defeats in five matches, travel to Stade Salif Keita for a date against Dijon on Saturday afternoon.
Les Verts, one of the most in-form teams in the division, will be eager to get back to winning ways as they fight to steer clear of the relegation jigsaw.
A win against Dijon will see them open a three-point lead against their opponents as the two sides are tied on 13 points.
Dijon, on the other hand, will be eager to record a second win on the trot having won two, drawn two and lost one in their last five games.
FIXTURES: Friday 09 February, 2024 (22:00) Reims vs Montpellier
FIXTURES: Saturday 10 February, 2024 (14:30) Bordeaux vs Paris FC
FIXTURES: Saturday 10 February 2024 (15:30) Lille OSC vs Le Havre
FIXTURES: Saturday 10 February (15:30) Guingamp vs Fleury
FIXTURES: Saturday 10 February (15:30) AS Saint-Étienne vs Dijon
FIXTURES: Sunday 11 February (22:00) Lyon vs Paris SG