It is undoubtedly the most anticipated meeting of the season for D1 Arkema. Sunday November 14, the reigning Parisian champions move on the lawn of OL. Sports shock, attack on Kheira Hamraoui … Here are four questions that arise around this match.
Will the Hamraoui affair disturb PSG players?
The case has shaken the football world this week. Kheira Hamraoui, a PSG player, was violently assaulted on Thursday, November 4, returning from a party organized by her club. The attack took place as Kheira Hamraoui was being driven home by one of her teammates, Aminata Diallo. Two hooded people emerged to get Hamraoui out of the vehicle, before injuring her with iron bars on her legs.
On Wednesday, November 10 in the morning, Diallo is arrested at his home in Marly-le-Roi (Yvelines), and placed in police custody by investigators from the Versailles judicial police. Competitor of Kheira Hamraoui in the post of midfielder at PSG but also in the France team, she was released without any charge being retained, as for one of her relatives in police custody in Lyon. On BFM TV, his lawyer denounced police custody “infamous“adding that”nothing was found that implicated Ms. DialloThe investigation opened for willful violence in assembly with weapon and premeditation still follows its course.
Aggression of Kheira Hamraoui: according to Aminata Diallo’s lawyer, his client is “psychologically weakened” after being in police custody pic.twitter.com/ZcAUcVbAHu
– BFMTV (@BFMTV) November 13, 2021
In this context, the club took the decision to cancel the press conference scheduled for Friday, November 12, and training took place the same day behind closed doors. Paris Saint-Germain made a request to postpone the meeting on Friday. But the FFF rejected the request, formulated late. It will be necessary to see if the Parisian players will manage to detach themselves from the events and find their best level against their rival. Unsurprisingly, Hamraoui and Diallo are not in the group of players selected for the trip to Lyon.
Stunned by the Hamraoui / Diallo affair, the women’s PSG decided this morning to cancel its media activities scheduled for Friday at D-2 of the shock of D1 in Lyon. No press conference, training behind closed doors. The FFF regulations allow them.
– Jérémy Talbot (@Jeremy_Talbot) November 11, 2021
Did the week of the Champions League wear out the Lyonnaises more?
Their best level, the Parisiennes posted Tuesday, November 9 during the Champions League group match against Real Madrid. The proteges of Didier Ollé-Nicolle have outclassed Las Blancas (“the white ones“) with a score of 4 to 0, with in particular a double from the French striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto. And above all, they kept their clean sheet as in every match since the start of the season. In front of the 18,000 spectators who came at the Parc des Princes, PSG took the lead in Group B with 9 points, three points ahead of their runner-up from Madrid.
It’s over ! The Parisians won 4-0 against Real Madrid and consolidated the first place in their group.
3⃣ wins in 3⃣ matches #PSGRM pic.twitter.com/71pj6m5NPB
– PSG Women (@PSG_Feminines) November 9, 2021
In contrast, the next day, the Lyonnaises suffered against Bayern Munich. Led (1-0) at halftime, Wendie Renard’s teammates had to do violence to themselves to win against the Bundesliga leader on a goal from Amandine Henry in the 86th minute. If this victory (2-1) with forceps demonstrates all the solidity and confidence of the Lyon collective, the players of Bompastor put a lot of energy into this meeting. Too much to take on a second tense match in a week?
Will the Lyon attack crack the Parisian defense?
Since the start of the D1 Arkema season, OL have made the powder talk: in seven league games, Jean-Michel Aulas’ club has already scored no less than 34 goals, an average of almost five goals per game. For comparison, PSG, second best attack, runs at an average of around 3 goals per game.
But Parisiennes have another strength: defense. In all competitions, they have not conceded a single goal this season. The central red and blue hinge, composed of Paulina Dudek andAmanda Ilestedt, has yet to meet a challenge worthy of her height. There is no doubt that the Fenottes should be one of them. In the movie “Batman: The Dark Knight“by Christopher Nolan, the character of the Joker played by Heath Ledger talks about what is happening”when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object“We should have another example on Sunday.
Is this already a decisive match for the title?
Whatever the outcome of this shock, it could already be decisive for the rest of the season. In normal times, it is more than rare to see a championship decided on the 8th day. But Lyonnaises and Parisiennes dominate the debates in D1 Arkema so much that the slightest point lost is of capital importance.
In November 2020, during the 9th day, PSG had won 1 to 0 at the Parc des Princes against Lyon to take the lead in the standings with a small point ahead of the Rhone. An advantage that will remain until the end. After fourteen years at the top, OL were down. First in the standings tied on points with PSG but with a better goal difference, the Lyonnaises will certainly arrive white hot on Sunday. With the intention, already, to take an option for the title.
After the great victory against Bayern in @UWCL, our players are back at @GroupamaStadium to challenge PSG in @ D1Arkema and are waiting for you this Sunday at 9 p.m.!
To reserve your seats https://t.co/qTWCZdRnR1 pic.twitter.com/HyrNqHDk74
– OL Women (@OLfeminin) November 11, 2021