How could PSG let such a victory slip away? The question will haunt the Parisiennes and their coach, Jocelyn Prêcheur, for a few hours, or even a few days. Not too much, we can hope for them, because there is still a semi-final return to play, next Sunday at the Parc des Princes.
But leaving Lyon with a defeat (3-2), the first in five months, after leading 2-0 until the 80th minute, there is reason to procrastinate.
There will therefore have been two matches in one. The first of 80 minutes, perfectly mastered by PSG. And then a second, of barely six minutes, where the Parisian castle collapsed under the pressure put on by insatiable Lyonnaises, carried by a formidable audience of 38,466 people in a trance. Let's start with this one. Kadidiatou Diani (80th), Melchie Dumornay (85th) and Amel Majri (86th) are the culprits of the Parisian nightmare.
They took advantage of an incomprehensibly panicked defense even though the plan was almost perfect. Did the changes made by Jocelyn Prêcheur play a role? Obviously, but the coach had to manage well the organizations shaken by a very, very high level semi-final. “It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter,” Marie-Antoinette Katoto shouted at her teammates at the end of the match, before the Lyonnaises gave themselves a giant “clapping”.
Double from Katoto
The PSG striker was, until the end of the match, the great lady of the evening. The striker, whose level is rising day by day, twenty months after a serious knee injury, scored a double on the pitch of her “best enemies”. Attentive at the far post, she took advantage of some nice work from Sandy Baltimore – hook in front of Selma Bacha – to find the target from close range (44th). On a blocked strike from Tabitha Chawinga, she is still on the lookout to win a duel against her ex-teammate Christiane Endler (48th).
The first period was signed by Constance Picaud, impeccable against Lindsey Horan (9th, 29th), Damaris Egurrola (24th) or Delphine Cascarino (38th). If the French international wanted to send a message to her management two months before the end of her contract, she couldn't have done it better. A good goalkeeper and a great attacker. For both men and women, the recipe for winning a Champions League often looks like this. Except when football descends into pure madness.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto narrowly missed the hat-trick (70th), before giving way to Lieke Martens (76th). A turning point that should never have been. The Parisiennes moved backwards, backwards, backwards... Until they recovered the ball three times in the net. An impossible scenario to predict but the return to earth is there and it is violent.
The grand final on May 24 in Bilbao was close. She is now very far away. You will have to take it on April 28 at the Parc des Princes to believe it. And if there is a message to convey this evening, it is for the Parisian public. Without you, they won't make it.