Fourth And Goal: Weary Lyon Eye Another UWCL Title

OL Féminin are on the brink of a fourth straight UEFA Women’s Champions League title, a feat unseen in either the men’s or women’s game since Real Madrid swept the first five men’s titles to close out the 1950s. A star-studded showdown with FC Barcelona awaits. But do les Fenottes have enough left in the tank to bring the treble back to Lyon?

With just days to go before the big show, we’re checking in on how the teams got here, key storylines, and players to watch.

Advertisement

Fleury Faux Pas: Lessons From An Unexpected Draw

Can a result be a shock without being a surprise? Just days after slotting four goals past perennial European powerhouse Wolfsburg on the Germans’ own field, Lyon were unexpectedly held to a 1-1 draw by FC Fleury 91–D1 Féminine’s sixth-place club. And yet it somehow felt like this was always coming.

Whose Penalty Is It Anyway? A Closer Look At OL Féminin From The Spot

Death.  Taxes.  And Saki Kumagai scoring penalties for Lyon.  For years, those were the three things we could all count on.  But nothing lasts forever (except maybe Lyon’s dominance in D1 Féminine), and things took a turn as last season came to a close.  Kumagai saw a penalty saved, Coach Pedros began shuffling the deck, and all of a sudden the world’s most lethal team has become decidedly less lethal from the spot.

No Metz-ing Around As OL Féminin Win Again

Did last-place FC Metz ever really stand a chance in this one?  No, not really.  But Lyon have always emphasized that it’s important to take every opponent seriously, and they did just that on Saturday.  The 5-0 win keeps OL in first place, two points ahead of PSG, as the showdown between the top two draws nearer.

Clean Sweep: OL Féminin Beat Bordeaux To Cap Three-Win Week

It was a daunting week for the French and European champions, with two games against top teams in D1 Féminine on either side of a trip to Amsterdam for a mid-week Champions League match.  But les Fenottes came through with flying colors, beating all three opponents and conceding just one goal over the week.  The final victory in the series was a 3-0 win over Bordeaux on Sunday, ensuring that Lyon remain on top of the D1F table.