Paris (AFP)

The defending champion Olympique Lyonnais did an excellent job by winning 1-0 against Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday in the quarter-final first leg of the Women's Champions League.

The Parisiennes have long held the shock against the Lyonnaises (7 European championship titles, including 5 consecutive since 2016), before giving in on a penalty in the 86th minute transformed by captain Wendie Renard, and whistled for an involuntary hand from Brazilian Formiga on a clearance from her Spanish captain Irene Paredes.

"We're happy, it's a victory, it's already good for qualifying," responded Wendie Renard.

“But we lost too many balls in the first half, we gave them the stick to be beaten. Fortunately Sarah (Bouhaddi) kept us in the game with her saves. is spoken and we re-motivated ".

The Lyon captain had already scored the only goal of the semi-final won against PSG last August during the "Final-8" of the C1 in Bilbao.

The Parisiennes will travel to Lyon on Wednesday January 31 for the return leg.

- Sterile attacks -

Dominating in the first half, the players from the capital coached by Olivier Echouafni got the best opportunities, but without succeeding in materializing, like Katoto (10th), Diani (20th), or Bachmann (32nd) .

Each time the PSG attackers have come up against OL goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi.

But from the start of the second half, the Lyonnaises found a face and a desire more in line with their level, without finding the way to Parisian goals.

Until this clearance in the 84th minute in the surface of Irene Paredes who landed on the arm of the Brazilian Formiga (43 years), aligned from the kick-off to replace her compatriot Luana.

The 27-year-old midfielder suffered a serious knee injury on Tuesday in training.

This long-awaited meeting between the two great rival teams of the French championship could also appear as the revenge of November 20, 2020, the last meeting between the two teams which saw the victory of PSG 1-0 thanks to a goal of the international Marie -Antoinette Katoto.

With this result, Jean-Luc Vasseur's players assert their status as favorites, although deprived of some major international players such as central defender Griedge Mbock and Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg, first Ballon d'Or in the women's category in 2018. , both injured, operated on and convalescing.

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