Décines-Charpieu (France) (AFP)
Carried by Amel Majri, involved in the two goals of her team, Lyon hardly won 2 to 1 at the expense of the Spanish club Levante on Wednesday in Décines-Charpieu, in the return match of the women's Champions League play-offs and was qualified for the group stage.
On the first leg, the Lyonnaises had already won (2-1) on September 1, against a solid formation ranked 3rd in the last Spanish championship.
After a first period during which the two teams were harmless, the French international Amel Majri, installed as playmaker in the axis, was decisive in the victory of OL.
She gave her side the advantage with a free kick that cut through the Spanish defense to surprise goalkeeper Maria Lopez (60) before delivering a left-wing cross that allowed American Catarina Macario to carry the score 2-0 (63).
This lead rewarded the offensive potential of Olympique Lyonnais slightly higher than that of his opponent who however managed to reduce the gap in stride by Aldana Cometti receiving a corner (64).
During the meeting, OL showed real intentions of the game, in progress compared to the last seasons during which the Rhone club sometimes got out thanks to individual exploits of its major players or on stopped phases, helped by the physique of Wendie Renard (1.85 m).
However, to have European ambitions or to regain his title of champion of France at Paris Saint-Germain, lost in the spring after fourteen years of hegemony (2007 to 2020), Lyon, after the departures of goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi, from the middle German Dzsenifer Maroszan or striker Eugénie Le Sommer, loaned to OL Reign (USA), and the arrivals of goalkeeper Christiane Endler, defender Perle Morroni or striker Signe Brunn (PSG), will have to offer more percussion offensive.
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