Goals from Camille AbilyEugénie Le Sommer, Ada Hegerberg and Amel Majri were more than enough as Lyon claimed their fifth win of the domestic season against lowly Marseille.

Un, deux, trois

After playing a lively 90 minutes against Avaldsnes in a midweek UEFA Women’s Champions League clash, Lyon showed no signs of fatigue as they immediately took the game to Marseille as they have every other team they’ve faced in recent memory. For their part, the hosts responded well, keeping the dangerous visitors at bay for most of the first half hour, even enjoying the odd trip further up field.

But the breakthrough was inevitable, Camille Abily was the one to finally get the better of Anaïs Hatchi. After having struggled to create space in the congested box Abily found just enough to stick a boot at Eugénie Le Sommer whipped cross, the momentum carrying the ball through Hatchi’s hands, the visitors with the advantage.

The goal only gave the visitors more confidence, the home side left helpless as the champions moved the ball around with slick pass after slick pass, almost like a drill off of the training ground; pass and move, pass and move. The second goal arrived just five minutes after the first, at the heart of almost every attack, Dzsenifer Marozsán got the ball rolling for the goal, playing a short corner to Jessica Houara the French international dinked the ball forward for Le Sommer. The potent striker, just evaded the offside trap to run onto the ball, taking it deeper than she intended, untroubled by the dauntingly tight angle she smashed the ball above Hatchi’s head and into the roof of the net.

Wendie Renard’s 35 minute header almost the nail in the coffin as she met Marozsán’s free kick just ahead of Hatchi, her curling header slipped just wide of the far post. But there was still no respite for the hosts as Ada Hegerberg made it three on the stroke of half-time, just like Le Sommer before her; slipping behind the defence to run onto the ball and thumping it into the top of the net from almost exactly the same spot as her teammate.

When it rains…

Marseille were unlucky to be going in at the break three goals down as they’d started strongly, confident against their formidable opponents but had shrunk down with each goal, Lyon only going from strength to strength ready to add another three points to their league tally.

There was no rest for the hosts after the break as Le Sommer grabbed her brace four minutes after the restart. Once more Marozsán was influential in the build-up as she hooked a free kick towards Renard, the ball deflected in the box as it bounced off of Hegerberg’s back before the Norwegian international spun and laid off for Le Sommer. Firing through a crowd, the ball with too much on it for Hatchi’s outstretched hand to keep out, the two defenders left on the goal line similarly as unable to stop the shot as it settled inside of the net.

Olympic gold medal winner Dzsenifer Marozsán was influential throughout
Olympic gold medal winner Dzsenifer Marozsán was influential throughout

With the substitutions coming thick and fast Lyon took advantage of the shuffle to add a fifth, Amel Majri chased after back-header, contentiously pushing her marker into the on rushing keeper, Majri was free to crack the ball into the open goal. But the visitors weren’t done there and were celebrating their sixth just seconds later as Heberberg’s dangerous ball in was skewed into her own net by Tess Laplacette – just four minutes after the defender had come on.

With no way back for the hosts the fans were still left with something to cheer about as Viviane Asseyi capitalised on a rare piece of miss-control, to nip in and steal the ball away. With nothing but green grass ahead of her the striker chased into the box and fired over Sarah Bouhaddi to give OM an unexpected consolation.

Even with the game ticking into the final minutes the away side refused to let up, never happy with their haul, always wanting more, substitute Corine Petit unlucky to see her 86 minute header cleared off of the line. But still Lyon attacked, blue shirts flooding forward as OM struggled for air, smothered in their own half, the hosts just about making it to full time only five goals down. The win a routine one for a Lyon side that show no signs of stopping, Marseille still without a win this season.

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About the author
Sophie Lawson
Neutral football fan travelling around Europe, covering matches and bothering footballers for interviews