Another matchday of Division 1 Féminine action resumes this weekend before the international break stops play in France's top division briefly. Matchday 15 offers up some intriguing battles on both ends of the table and could be a turning point for teams in their seasons.
Montpellier look to stall Lyon
The first match of the weekend sees Montpellier HSC face reigning champions Olympique Lyonnais at home in the early kick-off. Montpellier are currently in third and after their win away last time out, will want to close the gap on the league leaders to just two points with a win this weekend. Sandie Toletti continues to be a source of goals for the home team in the absence of Sofia Jakobsson and she will be needed against a resolute OL defense.
The away side themselves are not without attacking fire power. Ada Hegerberg is having another banner season and alongside her, Eugénie Le Sommer is always a threat. If these two manage to find space in the Montpellier box, they will make the defense pay and will help Lyon pick up a vital win at this point in the season.
Rodez look to bounce back against Bordeaux
Things have not gone well so far this season for Rodez AF. They find themselves in ninth place and having to fight for every point to distance themselves from the relegation zone, and after last week's loss, they will need to call on every advantage to try and beat tenth-placed FC Girondins de Bordeaux. Claire Noiran continues to be the most regular source of goals for Rodez with four in total and if Rodez want to win this game, she will have to have a stellar match from midfield.
Bordeaux are in a similar position to Rodez and have to rely on Sarah Cambot for their goals. Someone else in the team has to step up to stop Bordeaux from sliding into the relegation battle, and this weekend against Rodez would be the perfect time to do so.
PSG look to stay on top as Juvisy flounder
FCF Juvisy are floundering and have been for most of the season. Their previous 1-0 loss to Lyon did nothing to paper over the cracks that showed up in the previous meeting a week from now between the two sides when Lyon trounced Juvisy in a 5-2 win. If those issues have not been addressed, Juvisy will be facing a similar result against a very strong and determined Paris Saint-Germain side.
PSG themselves, are the opposite of Juvisy and currently flying high at the top of the table. Not only are forwards Christiane and Marie-Laure Delie scoring goals for fun but their backline has been close to impeccable this season, with a league leading two goals conceded. The home side will come into this match with plenty of self-belief and will be looking to stamp their authority on the division by winning convincingly against Juvisy.
The fairytale for Marseiille can continue on
The story of the season so far has been undoubtedly that of Olympique de Marseille. After being promoted to the first division this season, Marseille have not looked back and have gone on to produce some fantastic results that leave them in fourth place as of today. At the heart of their campaign has been the play of Viviane Asseyi, Sandrine Brétigny and Caroline Pizzala. If these three are on their game against FC Metz this weekend, Marseille should register another easy win.
Metz are looking for a minor miracle right now, and may not find it away at Marseille. Their fortunes have differed from their fellow newcomers and they find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table with no wins so far this season. That win may not come this weekend against an in-form side but stranger things have happened and Metz may finally get over this particular hump.
Saint-Étienne look to bounce back against Albi
After a tough loss against PSG last time out, AS Saint-Étienne will be looking to ensure that they come out of this matchday with a win. Their opponents, ASPTT Albi should be fairly easy to overcome but Saint-Étienne's confidence may not be at the highest due to that loss last week.
Their fans will be hoping that this weekend will have a more positive outcome. Albi are also in search of a win to move them away from the relegation zone. The away side are two points away from safety so if they can find a way to win in this match up, they will give themselves a good platform for the rest of the season.
Both Soyaux and Guingamp will be looking for three points
ASJ Soyaux and EA Guingamp will be both looking to pick all three points this weekend after disappointing draws have pushed them further back than they would like in the table. Guingamp currently sit in fifth place and will be looking to try and reel Marseille in with a win while Soyaux will want to place themselves further away from the bottom of the table. For Guingamp, Salma Amani will be the key player to watch while Soyaux will be looking to Pamela Babinga to add to her goal tally this season.