RC Lens vs. OL Lyonnes: Up north, Lionesses strike again (1-7)!

Lionesses quickly took control of the match. Just three minutes in, Damaris Egurrola opened the scoring with a header at the far post off a perfectly placed free kick by Salma Paralluelo (0-1, 3′). Two minutes later, Melchie Dumornay rose higher than everyone else to meet a cross from Ashley Lawrence and extend the lead (0-2, 5′). Shortly afterward, Marie-Antoinette Katoto finished off an excellent play initiated by Jule Brand (0-3, 13′). Lionesses kept possession, and Tabitha Chawinga found Ingrid Engen, whose curling cross once again found Marie-Antoinette Katoto, left unmarked in the box to score her second goal of the match (0-4, 21′). The French forward surpassed the 250-goal mark in her career and recorded her third brace in the Arkema Première Ligue this season. OL Lyonnes continued to press and came very close to scoring again. After a run by Tabitha Chawinga into the box, Marie-Antoinette Katoto laid the ball off to Salma Paralluelo, but the Lens goalkeeper made a fine save (26′). The Sang et Or managed to cut the deficit when Fanny Rossi finished off a quick counterattack (1-4, 29′). OL Lyonnes pushed forward again and were rewarded just before halftime. In stoppage time, Lily Yohannes delivered an unstoppable header across the goal off an excellent cross from Damaris Egurrola, extending the lead once more (1-5, 45+2′).

After returning from the locker room, OL Lyonnes came out with the same intentions as in the first half, dictating the pace and stringing together a series of team plays. A superb three-player move set up Jule Brand for a one-on-one with the opposing goalkeeper, but the keeper came out on top in the duel (57’). A few minutes later, a nice team sequence led to a shot by Ingrid Engen from the edge of the box, which went just wide of the goal (62’). The chances then came in quick succession: Ada Hegerberg failed to keep her shot on target off a pull-back cross from Jule Brand (75’), then Liana Joseph saw her attempt saved by the goalkeeper after an excellent pass from Melchie Dumornay (77’). Vicki Becho also came close to extending the lead, but the opposing goalkeeper made another decisive save (83’). A few minutes later, Vicki Becho recovered the ball at the edge of the box and found Jule Brand. The German player beat both the goalkeeper and a defender in a single move before delivering a perfect pass to Ada Hegerberg, who slotted the ball into the empty net (1-6, 89′). In stoppage time, Melchie Dumornay drew a penalty, which Wendie Renard coolly converted, to cap off OL Lyonnes resounding victory (1-7, 90+4′).