The match: 2-1
To promote suspense, D1 Arkema decided to innovate this season. For the first time in 32 years, the play-offs were to define the winning team of the Championship. Except that the Fenottes are crunchers of finals, and therefore of titles. For the 17th time, OL have added their name to the top division list. They won the experience against PSG, with a score of 2-1, which does not entirely reflect their domination.
The Lyonnaises left it to their opponents to enter the match, as if to gain a better chance afterwards. The start of the match was to the advantage of the PSG players, materialized by a vicious strike from the best D1 player in the UNFP trophies, Tabitha Chawinga (3rd).
Then OL clearly took the upper hand. On a deep pass from Daniëlle Van de Donk, Delphine Cascarino showed her speed. She went straight to goal and shot at the near post to open the scoring and start her own (1-0, 18th). Four minutes later, PSG again offered their opponent a goal. Katarzyna Kiedrzynek took too long to clear her ball, to the point that Melchie Dumornay came from a distance to press, then recover the ball. She delayed and transmitted to the former Parisian, Kadidiatou Diani, who concluded between the legs of the goalkeeper (2-0, 22nd).
The suspense only took its place in the last twenty minutes. Despite superior possession, PSG’s attack didn’t show much. Marie-Antoinette Katoto was not very influential. Chawinga was more restless and had the merit of relaunching her team. Following a great breakthrough from Sakina Karchaoui, the Malawian striker tried twice to deceive Christiane Endler (2-1, 73rd). Jocelyn Prêcheur’s players had a few chances (20th, 35th, 53rd), but always seemed a step below.
21
Since 2011, Olympique Lyonnais has won 21 of the 23 finals played, in all competitions.
At the end of an interesting and unbridled meeting, OL ideally launches its end of the season. In eight days, another final awaits, this time on the upper floor. It will be FC Barcelona and the Champions League. But, out of habit, the Lyonnaises know how to win a final.
The player: Kiedrzynek at fault again
She had a very delicate performance last Saturday, in the semi-finals against Paris FC (2-2, 5-4 in the tabs). Katarzyna Kiedrzynek had missed her interventions and gifted the first goal to her rivals, before making up for it by saving a penalty. In line with this end of the journey, the Polish goalkeeper did not respond to the confidence of her coach, who had decided to start her, despite competition with Constance Picaud. On the first goal, the 33-year-old did not cover her near post well, where Delphine Cascarino hit a strong ball. A few minutes later, the ghosts of last weekend were back. While she had time, she allowed herself to be pressed by Dumornay and lost the ball in a very dangerous area. Helpless, she suffered Kadidiatou Diani’s shot between the legs. The pressure of the play-offs did not work for him.
