Eight points now separate Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais from the rest of the Division 1 Féminine teams after 15 rounds and it looks like their battle for the title will go right down to the wire. The other great story from this weekend was the form of newcomers Olympique de Marseille who continue to confound both critics and pre-season predictions with their campaign so far this season. All in all, it was another gripping weekend of football in France's top division.
OL see off Montpellier with ease
This match should have been a close win for the away side, Olympique Lyonnais, in this weekend's early kick-off. Instead, Montpellier HSC wilted under the pressure and succumbed to a 3-0 defeat as the reigning champions left with all three points and another big win in their campaign. From the whistle whistle, OL were on top and captain Wendie Renard, made the most of their overall superiority by opening the scoring in the 13th minute. German full-back Pauline Bremer then scored an absolute screamer in the 26th minute and Renard was on the scoresheet once again in the 67th minute to wrap things up.
Montpellier were disappointing and could barely muster up any offense during the first half. In the second half, the introduction of Stina Blackstenius at half time gave the home side some threat but in the end, it accounted for nothing. Lyon now sit eight points ahead of Montpellier in first place, and continue to push for another Division 1 title.
Juvisy push PSG right until the end
After some disappointing results, FCF Juvisy can take heart from their performance this weekend, even though it was a 2-1 loss to current league leaders Paris Saint-Germain. With not much to note of the in first half, all the action and the goals came into play within ten minutes of the second half. PSG took a 2-0 lead when Irene Hernandez and Marie-Antoinette Katoto scored for the visitors in the 62nd and 64th minutes respectively. Juvisy responded quickly in the 67th minute through captain Gaëtane Thiney and pushed for the equaliser but ultimately came up short.
This win leaves PSG still close to the top of the table and three points away from league leaders Lyon. Juvisy now find themselves in seventh place, 25 points away from the league leaders, and rapidly descending away from a European place finish.
Marseille continue to enjoy their campaign in the first division
A 3-1 win away to FC Metz was an expected result for Olympique de Marseille this weekend but the way in which they achieved this result should be mentioned. The newcomers to the top division this season are playing like a team that has been in the league for a long time and seemingly look to keep their brilliant run going all season long.
Things did not start well for Marseille as Metz scored the first goal of the game in the third minute through Turkish international Melike Pekel but Marseille's quality shone through in the second half. Nora Coton-Pelagie drew the visitors level in the 59th minute and Marseille's star player this season, Viviane Asseyi then sealed the win with a brace in the 66th and 81st minutes of the game.
Marseille stay in fourth after this round but draw themselves closer to third with only 11 points separating them from Montpellier. Metz continue their abysmal season and stay rooted at the bottom of the table with no wins to account for this season.
Albi pick up a big win at Saint-Étienne
The surprising result of the weekend definitely came at the hands of ASPTT Albi as they picked up a much needed 1-0 win away at AS Saint-Étienne. Serbian international Milica Mijatović picked up the only goal of the game in the 62nd minute and Albi held on until the final whistle to get only their third win of the season.
The win leaves Albi level on points with FC Girondins de Bordeaux but still in the relegation zone due to goal difference. Saint-Étienne stay in eighth place even though they lost and will look to solidify their position at a mid-table position over the coming weeks.
Rodez and Bordeaux see out a 0-0 draw
Not much of note game from this game as Rodez AF welcomed Bordeaux this weekend, looking to pick up form again. Neither side were able to find the winning goal however and it leaves both teams still too close to the relegation zone. If neither team finds form within the next few weeks, they will both be drawn into the relegation battle. Rodez are still fairly safe with a three point gap after this weekend but Bordeaux will have to find a win from somewhere as they are now level on points with second-from-last Albi.
Soyaux pick up another good result
With now four wins in five games, ASJ Soyaux are enjoying their best form so far this season and were aided by a late goal in a 1-0 win over visiting EA Guingamp. The home fans had to wait until the 75th minute when a foul in the box allowed Viviane Boudaud to convert the penalty and give all three points to Soyaux. The win moves Soyaux up to fifth place while Guingamp drop to sixth, one point away from the team that defeated them this weekend.