Lyon and Barcelona Begin Women’s Champions League Campaign With Wins
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
Lyon and defending champions Barcelona made strong starts to their Women’s Champions League campaigns on Wednesday, securing convincing victories in their opening matches.
Lyon produced the biggest result of the day, defeating Servette 8-0, while Barcelona began their title defence with a 5-2 victory over Paris FC.
Katoto Leads Lyon’s Big Win
Lyon dominated the match against Swiss side Servette, with France international Marie-Antoinette Katoto scoring three goals.
Melchie Dumornay also made a major contribution by finding the net twice, while Servette suffered further setbacks through two own goals from Laia Balleste and Magdalena Sobal.
Lyon midfielder Ines Benyahia completed the scoring in the final minutes to seal an emphatic opening victory.
The French club, which has won the competition a record eight times, had rested several regular starters but still produced a commanding performance.
Dumornay said the team had worked hard to begin the tournament positively and was pleased that Lyon also managed to keep a clean sheet.
Barcelona Start Title Defence in Style
Barcelona also enjoyed a productive opening night as they defeated Paris FC 5-2.
Poland forward Ewa Pajor scored twice to lead the defending champions, while Kerolin, Clara Serrajordi and Caroline Graham Hansen also found the net.
The result gives Barcelona an early boost as they begin their bid for a fifth Champions League title.
The Spanish side has undergone some changes during the summer, including the departure of two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, who joined London City Lionesses.
Chelsea Secure Narrow Victory
Elsewhere, Chelsea opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over Austria Vienna.
Wieke Kaptein scored the only goal of the match as Chelsea secured all three points.
Kaptein acknowledged that the opposition made the contest difficult but said the team was pleased to begin the competition with a victory.
She also noted that Chelsea would need to be more clinical in their next matches.
Other Results
In another Wednesday fixture, OH Leuven and Roma played out a goalless draw in Belgium.
The opening round had already produced several notable results on Tuesday.
Manchester City recovered from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Bayern Munich, while Arsenal secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Danish club HB Koge after scoring late in the match.
With several of Europe’s leading clubs already in action, the opening round has provided an early indication of the competition expected in this season’s Women’s Champions League.
