Talking points: OL Lyonnes defeat a learning curve
Manchester United were beaten 3-0 by OL Lyonnes in the UEFA Women’s Champions League on Wednesday. On the penultimate league-phase matchday, there was plenty to take from it.
The Reds trailed by just a single goal at the break, scored by Tabitha Chawinga, and crafted a good chance to equalise when former Lyon player Melvine Malard just missed with a looping header.
The 18-time French champions added to their lead twice in the closing stages, both goals scored by midfielder Melchie Dumornay to match her feat in an earlier win over Arsenal this season.
STILL A LEARNING CURVE
Whatever way you look at it, this was still just our fifth ever Champions League game – excluding qualifiers – and record eight-time winners Lyon might just be the biggest visiting team that has set foot on the pitch in Leigh.
Maya Le Tissier noted beforehand in her matchday programme column: “It’s everything we work towards - testing ourselves against the best opposition there is, and Lyon are definitely one of them.”
The players in the squads reads like a who’s who of the women’s game. After an hour played, Jonatan Giraldez turned to Lyon bench and brought on esteemed forwards Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Kadidiatou Diani, to replace the iconic Ada Hegerberg and the electric Chawinga.
But there was plenty that United did well, defending resolutely and, despite Lyon’s dominance of the stats, actually severely restricting the amount of genuine chances the visitors could create. Chawinga’s opener accounted for one of only two shots on target in the first 80 minutes. The toll on the Reds of playing a lot of the game without the ball showed in the closing stages.
Jayde Riviere, who was making her first professional start the last time a French team played in Leigh (PSG in October 2023), pulled off a potentially goal-saving block tackle on Hegerberg in the first half and made many other anticipatory interceptions, as well as getting forward to cross. It was also another battling display from Anna Sandberg on the other side, a player singled out for her elite ceiling after a Player of the Match performance against West Ham days earlier.
SQUAD ROTATION ON SHOW
More than ever, with four separate competitions for United to compete in this season, we’re seeing the importance of having a squad that can be rotated to manage loads and keep players fresh.
Marc Skinner made five changes to the team that had started the WSL win over West Ham at the weekend – Rachel Williams, Gabby George, Simi Awujo, Lisa Naalsund and Fridolina Rolfo all came into the side. There were then three substitutions at half-time, with Ella Toone, Jess Park and Julia Zigiotti on.
United host Tottenham in the WSL on Sunday, before a trip to Italy to face Juventus in the remaining Champions League matchday next week. Spurs are then back up for the Subway League Cup on 21 December.
Overall, off the back of the international break, it’s a run of four games in just 15 days. That isn’t the first example this season, challenged to consistently balance three-game weeks at the very highest level.
UWCL STATE OF PLAY
All but two of the 12 clubs that will progress are now known: Barcelona, Lyon, Bayern, Chelsea, Juventus, Real Madrid, Wolfsburg, Arsenal, United and Paris FC. Two of Atletico Madrid, OH Leuven or Valerenga will join them. Twente, Benfica, PSG, Roma and St Polten are already out.
United’s place in the knockout rounds was already assured after the results on matchday four – a top 12 finish equates to at least contesting a knockout play-off. But clubs have continued to battle for a place in the top four, which means automatic passage into the quarter-finals.
Barcelona lead way with the final round of fixtures left to play next week, having taken 13 points from the 15 on offer. Lyon are second, level on points with the Catalans but marginally behind on goal difference. Bayern Munich and Chelsea come next, on 12 and 11 points respectively, but the next five clubs in the table – including United – are within one win of the top four.
PHALLON’S HALF CENTURY
Tonight marked a half century of appearances for Phallon Tullis-Joyce in United colours. This was a seventh outing in the Champions League specifically, with seven more in the League Cup, five in the FA Cup and the other 31 in the WSL.
Arriving in 2023 from OL Reign, as the NWSL club was known at the time, Phallon quickly became a fan favourite, even before succeeding Mary Earps as starting goalkeeper a year later. She was named a PFA Community Champion in May 2024 for her work supporting the Manchester United Foundation, which included sharing her passion for marine biology with local schoolchildren.
Last season, our No. 91 – a nod to her birthday: 19 October – conceded just 10 goals in the first 20 WSL games. Overall, 13 clean sheets was one shy of the league record set by Earps in 2022/23 and she shared the Golden Glove with Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton. Phallon was also named United’s Players’ Player of the Year, and got in the WSL Team of the Season and the PFA WSL Team of the Year.
Here’s to the next 50, Phallon!