Pre-Match Notes: The Olympique Lyon Féminin are coming off of an exciting 9-0 Champions League win against Czech club, Slavia Praha. Lyon are back to face Dijon FCO in the D1 Arkema regular season. Sonia Bompastor and the Lyon team hopes to come away with another victory, and extend their undefeated streak.

Lyon’s match against Slavia Praha was definitely a fun and exciting one to watch. A 9-0 win with eight different goal-scorers. Overall, Lyon looks good. Very dominant performance in the Champions League so far, as well as the regular season too. There’s great control from the team in general, along with great drive and connection in a very persistent and aggressive attack. Additionally, there is great support in the attack and in the box.

There are good responses from the players in the midfield and defense when the opposing team is on the attack. I also liked how fast Lyon is at recovering possession after losing it. The defense and backline look very strong, secure, and well-organized. Overall, the team looks balanced in all areas.

The only issue I had in the match against Slavia Praha is the turnovers in the midfield, but like I mentioned earlier, Lyon is quick to recover possession after losing it. It’s a small issue, however I can imagine it’s something Sonia Bompastor isn’t going to ignore, especially when it comes to equally aggressive attacking teams in the future.

At the moment, Lyon is doing extremely well. In this match against Dijon, I’m hoping to see that same press and drive in the attack, along with that connection in the attack and in the box. We could see a lot of goals in match, in addition to rotation in the line up.

Line Up Notes

Starting Eleven: We have Laura Benkarth in the goal. For defenders Alice Sombath, Vanessa Gilles, Mbock, and Perle Morroni. In the midfield and attack Dzsenifer Marozsán, Melchie Dumornay, Amel Majri, Diani, Vicki Bècho, and Selma Bacha.

Interesting line up. It seems like Bompastor is wanting to rest Endler for Lyon’s champions league match against St. Polten next week. The same could also be said for Hegerberg, DaBritz, Van De Donk, Horan, and Renard, and Le Sommer, both of whom aren’t available for this match. It’s good that Bompastor is rotating the line up. That’s very essential when it comes to close games, and it also prevents injuries.

It’s good to see Benkarth starting. Backup goalkeepers don’t often get much playtime, so this will be good for her. As for the rest of the line up, there is still strong attacking potential with Marozsán, Diani, Dumornay, and Bècho. I honestly can’t stress how great of a signing Diani was for Lyon. I was really impressed with her in the matches against Montpellier and Slavia Praha. I’m also noticing Bacha in the attack. That’s going to be fun and interesting to see. Overall, I think this is a solid and strong line up.

First Half Notes

Olympique Lyon 1-1.

A big goalkeeping error from Lyon’s backup goalkeeper, Laura Benkarth, led to a goal from distance for Dijon. However, Alice Sombath was able to get one back for Lyon. Sombath’s shot on goal was initially saved by the Dijon goalkeeper, but the ball managed to slip out from between her legs and cross over the goal line.

As for the Lyon team as a whole, they’re getting their attack forward, and they’re maintaining a high press with very heavy pressure. There have been plenty of crosses and services coming in, however, the attack is struggling to connect and get their shots off. This is mainly because Dijon’s defense has been staying very tight and compact. They’re also closing down around the Lyon players.

What Lyon needs to do is draw the Dijon defenders out wide. This will create gaps in the backline and will make it easier for the Lyon attackers to find their way through. Another option is long balls and passes behind the backline. Earlier, there was a pass behind the Dijon backline, and Diani was able to get on it and make a run into the box. If Lyon can add plays like that to their attacking arsenal, they should be able to get past Dijon’s defense and find the back of the net.

For the second half we could see Däbritz , Damaris, Hegerberg, Van De Donk, or Horan come in.

Second Half/Closing Notes

Olympique Lyon Wins 4-1.

After a challenging first half where Lyon found themselves tied 1-1 with Dijon due to a goalkeeping error, Lyon were able to comeback in the second half and win it. Dumornay, Hegerberg, and Däbritz were able to add three more goals to the Lyon scoreboard.

Lyon did everything right. They kept the ball, made many crosses and services, attacked in both halves, controlled the game, and put pressure on Dijon. However, Dijon’s defense was tough to break through. The substitutes Hegerberg, Horan, Däbritz, Damaris, and Van De Donk made a significant impact. Additionally, Dijon may have been exhausted from chasing Lyon all night and dealing with a constant barrage of Lyon’s attacks.

Overall, it was a good match. Lyon definitely struggled against a defensive Dijon side, but eventually, they were able to find their way through and come away with another victory. This was a good test for Lyon. Lyon is an attack-focused team, and putting them up against a defensive team will challenge them when it comes to crafting and figuring out ways to get through an opposing team’s defense. It took a while in this match, but knowing Lyon, they will always find a way through, always find a way to score.