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Preview: Lyon Women vs. St Polten Women - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 20 November 2023, 22:51
Lyon Women will look to maintain their 100% record in all competitons when they play host to St Polten Women in Wednesday's Women's Champions League meeting.

The visitors, meanwhile, are searching for their first points of the group stage after losing to Brann on matchday one.

Match preview

Lyon are one of the favourites to win the Champions League this season, having won the competition a record eight times and most recently in the 2021-22 season.

The French champions are certainly expected to top a relatively kind group, containing Slavia Prague, St Polten and Brann.

They showcased their extra quality on matchday one when they thumped Slavia Prague 9-0, with five of those goals arriving before the 25th-minute mark.

Sara Dabritz, Danielle van de Donk, Vanessa Gilles, Eugenie Le Sommer and Kadidiatou Diani all found the net in a thrilling passage of play, before the latter added her second of the game on the stroke of half time.

Ada Hegerberg and Amel Majri then registered two goals in as many minutes, and there was still plenty of time for Gilles to wrap up her brace.

After going on to beat Dijon 4-1 on Friday, Lyon have now won all 10 competitive matches this season, racking up 46 goals while only conceding on four occasions.

Meanwhile, St Polten are competing in the Champions League group phase after beating PAOK and Valur in the qualifying rounds.

With Lyon expected to win the group, St Polten are effectively battling with Slavia Prague and Brann for second place.

However, their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals were dealt a blow last week when they suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat in their home meeting with Brann.

Maria Mikolajova found the net in the 68th minute to cancel out Rakel Engesvik's opener, but St Polten were unable to come back a second time after Natasha Anasi scored what proved to be the winning goal.

Although St Polten bounced back with a commanding 7-0 win over Grazer AK in the OFB Frauen Cup, they will be aware of the almighty challenge that awaits them in Wednesday's clash against a free-scoring Lyon side.

Lyon Women Women's Champions League form:

W

Lyon Women form (all competitions):

St Polten Women Women's Champions League form:

St Polten Women form (all competitions):

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Team News

Lyon remain without the services of long-term absentee Delphine Cascarino, who is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Eugenie Le Sommer should be fit to start despite missing Friday's league game with a knock sustained in the Champions League win over Slavia Prague.

After rotating his squad for the win over Dijon, Bompastor could revert back to the starting XI that featured against Slavia Prague.

As for the visitors, German goalkeeper Carina Schulter will be bracing herself for a busy night against the record Champions League winners.

Schulter will be looking for protection from a backline that is expected to feature Julia Tabotta, Diana Lemesova, Jennifer Klein and Ella Touon.

After playing the final 33 minutes against Brann, Rita Schumacher could be given the lonely task of leading the line.

Lyon Women possible starting lineup:

Endler; Carpenter, Gilles, Renard, Morroni; Van de Donk, Horan, Dabritz; Le Sommer; Diani, Hegerberg

St Polten Women possible starting lineup:

Schluter; Tabotta, Lemesova, Klein, Touon; Mattner-Trembleau, Mikolajova, Johanning, Wenger, Zver; Schumacher

We say: Lyon Women 6-0 St Polten Women

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