Lyon maintain perfect start in Champions League

5 months ago 126
Lyon celebrate scoring a goalDanielle van de Donk has scored in both of Lyon's Champions League fixtures this season

Lyon made it back-to-back victories in the 2023-24 Champions League with a routine win against St Polten.

It took just four minutes for Danielle van de Donk to get the hosts on their way when she headed in unchallenged from close range.

St Polten defender Leonarda Balog scored an own goal two minutes into the second half after a scrappy bit of play inside the box.

Ada Hegerberg looked to have added a third when scrambling in at close range after the ball came back off the bar. But it was disallowed as the Norwegian was judged to have used an arm in the process.

Lyon were never at risk of slipping up against their Austrian rivals, dominating possession and carving out 35 attempts at goal, but boss Sonia Bompastor will have been frustrated that they did not win by a more comfortable margin, having seen off Slavia Prague 9-0 in their opening game.

Lyon defender and player of the match Selma Bacha told Uefa.com: "We've got the win. To be fair, we could have played better, but this is a time of the year where the games are coming thick and fast. There's a bit of fatigue, but tonight only the win is important.

"We analysed the opposition well so we knew there would be space to exploit down the flanks. We knew we had to play the ball wide, and that's what we managed to do this evening."

The record eight-time winners of the Champions League are now unbeaten in 19 games across all competitions - winning 18 and drawing one - since losing against Chelsea in the first-leg of last season's quarter-final tie.

Lyon host Norwegian club Brann next time out in the Champions League on 12 December.

In Wednesday's other Group B fixture, debutants Brann beat Slavia Prague 1-0 in Norway thanks to a goal from Larissa Crummer.

Brann have won both of their games and sit second in the standings with only goal difference keeping them behind leaders Lyon.

Line-ups

Lyon Féminines

Formation 4-3-3

1Endler12Carpenter21GillesSubstituted forMbock Bathyat 59'minutes3Renard4Bacha17van de Donk13EgurrolaSubstituted forLe Sommerat 60'minutes26Horan11DianiSubstituted forBèchoat 76'minutes14HegerbergSubstituted forMorroniat 76'minutes8DäbritzSubstituted forMarozsánat 76'minutes

Substitutes

5Morroni7Majri9Le Sommer10Marozsán16Belhadj18Sombath23Swierot27Bècho29Mbock Bathy30Benkarth

St. Pölten Women

Formation 5-4-1

33Schlüter19Tabotta8Wenger4Balog22Klein27Touon17Mattner-TrembleauSubstituted forMastrantonioat 76'minutes77LemesováBooked at 23minsSubstituted forJohanningat 60'minutes7Mikolajová24ZverSubstituted forSchumacherat 31'minutes18BrunnthalerSubstituted forHillebrandat 60'minutes

Substitutes

3Johanning6Amuchie9Schumacher15Mastrantonio21Hillebrand30Abiral44Falkensteiner93Piatek

Referee:Sandra Bráz Bastos

Live Text

Match ends, Lyon Féminines 2, St. Pölten Women 0.

Second Half ends, Lyon Féminines 2, St. Pölten Women 0.

Ellie Carpenter (Lyon Féminines) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Sophie Hillebrand (St. Pölten Women).

Foul by Dzsenifer Marozsán (Lyon Féminines).

Mária Mikolajová (St. Pölten Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Attempt blocked. Lindsey Horan (Lyon Féminines) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Eugénie Le Sommer.

Lindsey Horan (Lyon Féminines) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Ella Mastrantonio (St. Pölten Women).

Attempt missed. Dzsenifer Marozsán (Lyon Féminines) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.

Foul by Dzsenifer Marozsán (Lyon Féminines).

Sophie Hillebrand (St. Pölten Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Foul by Perle Morroni (Lyon Féminines).

Anna Johanning (St. Pölten Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Attempt saved. Selma Bacha (Lyon Féminines) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Eugénie Le Sommer.

Attempt saved. Eugénie Le Sommer (Lyon Féminines) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Lindsey Horan with a headed pass.

Attempt blocked. Wendie Renard (Lyon Féminines) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Selma Bacha with a cross.

Corner, Lyon Féminines. Conceded by Ella Touon.

Offside, St. Pölten Women. Ella Touon tries a through ball, but Mária Mikolajová is caught offside.

Attempt missed. Vicki Bècho (Lyon Féminines) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Selma Bacha with a cross.

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