How did this “groggy” Lyon stop its European reign, between Covid-19 and Wendie Renard’s nightmare?

[ad_1]

Women’s Champions League: OL-PSG debrief (1-2) – 20 minutes

  • OL said goodbye to their dreams of a sixth consecutive championship in the Champions League this Sunday, bowing against PSG (1-2).
  • Despite their advantage in the first leg (0-1) and the quick opening of Catarina Macario (1-0, 4th), the Lyonnaises were clearly dominated by their historic rivals.
  • The unexpected stoppage of OL, who has lived through the last three very complicated weeks due to twelve cases of Covid-19 among the players, is symbolized by the rout of captain Wendie Renard, involved in the two Parisian goals .

At Parc OL,

The image of Wendie Renard, prostrate after his head butt against his camp qualifying PSG (1-2, 61st) is too symbolic to be anecdotal. Already because the Lyon captain has almost always known only success, both in the Champions League (seven coronations for ten years), and against the Parisian rival. But also because she is one of the twelve Lyon players affected for three weeks by the Covid-19, which led to the postponement to this Sunday of the perilous quarter-final return of the Champions League. Jean-Luc Vasseur’s players were only able to resume collective training on Friday, a first since March 26. “We are unfortunately coming out of a big period of Covid-19 and that was a real disadvantage for us,” said the Lyon striker of the day Catarina Macario quickly after this surprise elimination. If we could have recovered better physically, this match would have been different. “

A feeling shared by the Parisian coach Olivier Echouafni, very humble in this historic qualification for his club: “We must of course take this up. We were in the same situation four weeks ago and we only knew how to live up to the event for 60, 65 minutes in the first leg. Lyon must have had a lot of worries and we decided to set the pace, to make them run to put them in difficulty. “Even led after four minutes of play, and despite the unfavorable result of the first leg (0-1), PSG was indeed able to master the entire meeting at Parc OL against a blunt Lyon and without idea in the game.

Following this duel between Delphine Cascarino and Ashley Lawrence, Catarina Macario opened the scoring this Sunday.  JEFF PACHOUD
Following this duel between Delphine Cascarino and Ashley Lawrence, Catarina Macario opened the scoring this Sunday. JEFF PACHOUD – AFP

“I saw girls affected, tired”

“Paris had only had three cases of Covid-19 on the way, including one holder [Sandy Baltimore], recalls in this regard the Lyon coach Jean-Luc Vasseur. We had twelve outside staff, including a lot of incumbents [Renard, Majri, Cascarino, Carpenter, Buchanan, Henry]. There were perhaps too many handicaps today to be able to compete with PSG. I saw girls affected, tired. They gave everything in this match but we lacked good preparation, rhythm and a little more energy. It’s a big stop, and today we’re a bit groggy. “

Because the dream of a sixth consecutive Champions League definitely flew away when Christiane Endler signed an incredible parade at close range against Melvine Malard (1-2, 90th + 3). Before that, Wendie Renard had therefore cost his club dearly, by missing his recovery on the equalizer of Grace Geyoro (1-1, 24th), then by propelling in his own goal a center of Kadidiatou Diani (1- 2, 61e).

Sarah Bouhaddi tries to comfort her captain Wendie Renard after her terrible goal against her camp.  JEFF PACHOUD
Sarah Bouhaddi tries to comfort her captain Wendie Renard after her terrible goal against her camp. JEFF PACHOUD – AFP

A revenge on May 29 to save the coronation in D1

It’s hard not to see in this underperformance of the French international the consequences of Covid-19, especially if we think back to its decisive goals against PSG, in the first leg (0-1), and especially during the half -final of the 2019-2020 edition, last summer in Bilbao (1-0). Jean-Luc Vasseur also gave his full support this Sunday to “an extraordinary, exemplary and deserving leader”. The Lyon coach is already planning on “a revenge” in D1 on May 29, again at Parc OL, to try to conquer a fifteenth national crown in a row (PSG has a point ahead of six games from the end ). He does not want to hear about the end of the cycle for this less untouchable team than in the past.

“If you think it’s a page that is turned, my answer is no,” he slices. I wish to recover soon Ada Hegerberg and Griedge Mbock [pour la saison prochaine] who have been absent for almost a year. We need to supervise our young recruits [Macario, Carpenter, Egurrola] with all our Lyon champions to emulate. “With conviction, the young American Catarina Macario insists this Sunday:” The Parisians deserved to win today, but I know that I am in the best club in the world “.



[ad_2]

Source link

Related Articles