Martens goal brings PSG closer to Champions League, Greens debut

Paris Saint-Germain defeated Sweden’s BK Häcken 2-1 at home in the final qualifying round of the Women’s Champions League. Jackie Groenen, who made her debut after coming over from Manchester United earlier this month, and Lieke Martens were in the starting lineup at PSG.

In the Stade Jean Bouin, Martens opened the scoring for her ambitious new French club (she first played for FC Barcelona) after fourteen minutes, on the advice of the Swiss international Ramona Bachmann. Ten minutes later, Häcken equalized via Marika Bergman Lundin.

BK Häcken is in fourth place in the Swedish league, but managed to keep it exciting for a long time against PSG, which wants to attack the hegemony of Olympique Lyon, the current defending champion in the Champions League this season. PSG have started the French league (as well as Lyon) with two wins.

BK Häcken, the club of goalkeeper Loes Geurts who was missing because she expects to give birth this month, seemed to pull a draw out of the fire. Until Kadidiatou Diani made the liberating 2-1 shortly before time.

Groenen, recently taken over from Manchester United by PSG, was already off the field by then. She was replaced twenty minutes before time. Martens was sidelined in injury time.

The return is next Wednesday. The winner of this diptych qualifies for the group stage of the Champions League.