There will be an air of revenge this Saturday, at 2 p.m., at the Georges-Lefèvre stadium in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, on the occasion of the round of 16 of the Coupe de France between PSG and Olympique Lyonnais. Indeed, more than two months following the heavy defeat of the Parisiennes in the Rhône in the league (6-1, November 14), the two giants of French women’s football meet for a shock that has everything of a final before the time.
Winners of the first duel of the season, in a particular context with the Hamraoui affair, the Lyon players announced themselves as “favorites” before this meeting, through the voice of their coach Sonia Bompastor. But Paris intends to make them lie. “Last year we demonstrated very good things, we won this title, recalled this Friday January 28 the Parisian captain Grace Geyoro in a press conference. There was this defeat in mid-November. But we must not question everything we have done. We are sure of our strength. Apart from this defeat in the league once morest Lyon, we won everything. It’s on the pitch that we want to show who is the favourite. »
And to add: “The defeat in Lyon left us with a bitter taste, it was quite a difficult match for us. But we had to bounce back and keep working, which we managed to do. It’s a new challenge. We must forget what happened and play to our strengths. »
Didier Ollé-Nicolle, the PSG coach, also maintains that the 6-1 defeat in the first part of the season “did not reflect reality, you know that too”, he said. “I’m looking forward as a coach to be there because these are the games that interest us. We have the opportunity to really demonstrate who we are. I have great confidence in my group even if it will be a difficult match. »
Last week, the Parisiennes were full of confidence by winning 5-0 on the ground of Saint-Étienne, with Diallo and Hamraoui holders. The two players are still in the group this Saturday. For its part, Lyon suffered by winning 3-2, late, once morest a good team from Montpellier. Woe to the loser, since there will only be one team qualified for the quarter-finals.
In this mission, Paris would have liked to play at the Parc des Princes or at Jean Bouin, but the two stadiums are mobilized this weekend. The Ultras, despite the imposed gauge, have planned to come and support the girls. Léa Khelifi and Estelle Cascarino, in the re-athleticization phase, are forfeited.
