This is a new setback for a French women’s club in the Champions League. After Olympique Lyonnais, rolled (1-5), Wednesday, October 19, by Arsenal, the women of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) lost (0-1) against Chelsea, Thursday. A bad start to the competition that the Parisiennes will have to erase next Wednesday against Real Madrid, the other ranked opponent in group A.
At the Jean-Bouin stadium, the PSG players seemed less organized, less dangerous and less inspired than the “Blues” led by Millie Bright, the evening scorer (27e). They never really seemed able to thwart the adversary’s plan.
The Parisian coach, Gérard Prêcheur, found himself deprived of the Dutch winger Lieke Martens, ill. Without this former FC Barcelona player, recruited this summer for this type of European shock, the team seemed very harmless and often disoriented.
The right lane of the attack was surveyed by the young midfielder Laurina Fazer, behind a rare attempt by PSG in front of goal (49e). And in this organization, the Parisiennes seemed entangled or had difficulty finding each other, in addition to lacking success in their passes.
Kheira Hamraoui on the bench
Offensively, the semi-finalists of the last three editions have shown almost nothing. Behind them, they suffered the activity and finesse of striker Sam Kerr, untenable in pivot for Chelsea, as energetic as he is precise – qualities which earned him his third place in the Ballon d’Or on Monday.
If the Australian did not deceive the vigilance of Sarah Bouhaddi, Bright took care of it. The defender crowned this summer at the Euro with England, left too free by Elisa De Almeida at the far post, volleyed a lobbed cross from Erin Cuthbert (27e).
The Parisian midfielder, quite overwhelmed in the commitment, did not benefit from the reinforcement of Kheira Hamraoui. The 32-year-old sentinel was certainly back in the squad for the first time since being sidelined in mid-April after a falling out in training, but Gérard Prêcheur kept her on the bench.
Next Wednesday, PSG will have to pull themselves together against Real Madrid: earlier in the day, the Spaniards won (2-0) against the Albanians of Vllaznia Shkodër, which puts them at the top of the group, tied on points with Chelsea.