If you were expecting a change of guard this weekend in the Division 1 Féminine then you were probably disappointed as both Olympique Lyonnais and Paris Saint-Germain saw off any would-be challengers to the title and places in next season's UEFA Women's Champions League.
Lyon's quick start sees off Montpellier
The champions, Olympique Lyonnais came into their match against Montpellier H.S.C knowing that it would not be an easy day out for them and as such, two quick goals within the first ten minutes of the game allowed the league leaders to hold off Montpellier's challenge and give them all three points. French internationals Camille Abily and Eugénie Le Sommer opened the scoring with goals in the fifth and seventh minutes of the game to give Lyon a 2-0 advantage early in the first half. Anouk Dekker pulled one back for Montpellier in the 42nd minute and that was how the score line remained until the final minute.
Lyon remain in first, level on points with PSG but ahead due to goal difference having scored 53 goals so far this season. Montpellier will be disappointed to not have taken more from this game as they did have their chances but will accept remaining in third place after ten rounds in the top division schedule.
Juvisy no match for PSG and Delie
Paris Saint-Germain hosted France's other heavyweight team this weekend in FCF Juvisy and they had an easier time of it than their title rivals. A hat trick by Marie-Laure Delie, with goals in the 35th, 55th and 66th minutes, sealed a 3-0 win for the Parisiennes as they continue their great start to the season under new manager, Patrice Lair. Goalkeeper Katarzyna Kiedrzynek continues her great clean sheet streak as she now has nine from nine so far this season, giving PSG the best defensive record in the league.
PSG stay neck-and-neck with Lyon whereas Juvisy's troubles continue. The team from Viry-Châtillon are struggling for points and after a shock defeat at the hands of Olympique de Marseille last week, and the loss today, find themselves falling further and further away from the top of the table. A real cause for concern is the form of captain Gaëtane Thiney who seemingly cannot find the back of the net this season on a regular basis. If this continues, her return to the national team will be in jeopardy and her team will find themselves in the relatively unknown place of a mid-table battle.
Marseille get back-to-back wins with win against Metz
After surprising most fans of the Division 1 Féminine with their win over Juvisy last time out, Olympique de Marseille backed that performance up with a 3-0 win over bottom-placed FC Metz. Captain Sandrine Brétigny got the first goal of the game in the 20th minute. Defender Amandine Soulard then doubled Marseille's lead in the 79th minute before Caroline Pizzala rounded things off with a goal in the 82nd minute.
Marseille continue their bid to stay in the top division after gaining promotion last year in ninth on eight points, four points above the relegation zone. Metz on the other hand are still languishing at the bottom of the table with just one point from ten games this season.
Rodez bounce back with in against Bordeaux
Rodez AF had had some inconsistent form leading into Week 10 and knew that the match away against FC Girondins de Bordeaux would be an important turning point in their season. The players rose to the challenge and came away with a 2-0 win to get all three points. Clara Noiran was the star player for Rodez as the midfielder got both goals for the away side in the 32nd and 42nd minutes of the game. Rodez held on to pick up three vital points while Bordeaux will try to find a different tactic for their next match.
Bordeaux remain in tenth, four points away from the relegation zone but will know that they need to keep picking up points to avoid being drawn into the relegation battle. Rodez stay move up to eighth in the table after their win and will now focus on pushing on further up the table to try and finish near the same position that they did last season.
Guingamp, Soyaux, Albi and Saint-Étienne complete two draws
The final matches of the weekend saw EA Guingamp take on ASJ Soyaux while ASPTT Albi and AS Saint-Étienne were up against each other. None of the above mentioned teams could find the goal that would gift them three points this weekend and had to all settle for one point each to add to their totals so far this season.
Guingamp remain in fourth, six points away from third-placed Montpellier while Soyaux and Saint-Étienne remain in sixth and seventh respectively. Albi remain at the bottom of the table and know that they are still four points away from safety.