Champions League
As expected, the SKN St. Pölten were shown their limits in the Champions League by title candidate Olympique Lyon. The eight-time CL winner from France won 7-0 (3-0) in the NV Arena on Thursday evening without any danger. St. Pölten is still holding on to just one point after five out of six rounds. Finally, Austria’s series champions will play away against Brann Bergen next Wednesday.
25.01.2024 23.23
Online since yesterday, 11:23 p.m
Ada Hegerberg (21st, 36th) and Sara Däbritz (22nd) before the break as well as Vanessa Gilles (55th), Dzsenifer Marozsan (79th), Kadidiatou Diani (83rd) and Däbritz again (87th) after the break scored a landslide victory for Lyon. St. Pölten resisted vehemently, but the class difference was clearly visible. A respectable result like the 0:2 in the first leg should not be achieved. Lyon was clearly keen to win the group ahead of Bergen. The Norwegians secured their place in the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win at Slavia Prague.
SKN trainer Liese Brancao wanted to “annoy the favorites for as long as possible”. St. Pölten’s “highlight game” was decided in favor of the favorites after just half an hour. The Lower Austrians, who had a five-man defense, were fighting a losing battle from the start. Lyon launched attack after attack and showed class in all parts of the team, even without Danielle van de Donk, who was rested for the time being, and the convalescent Wendie Renard.
GEPA/Walter Luger Lyon had an easy time scoring goals against St. Pölten
St. Pölten is a losing battle
At the front there was a real goalscorer in Hegerberg, who ended the goal block after 20 minutes. The Norwegian scored from a corner, making it the 63rd goal in the elite league for the record goalscorer in the Champions League. Number 64 was to follow. Less than two minutes later, St. Pölten failed to get the ball out of the danger zone and Däbritz finished.
Lyon hit the crossbar before Hegerberg had plenty of space in the penalty area and scored a brace. SKN goalkeeper Carina Schlüter was unable to intervene decisively in any goal conceded. Captain Jennifer Klein and Co. were unable to relieve the pressure at the front, solo leader Valentina Mädl ran many empty kilometers. There were 19 shots in the direction of the St. Pöltner goal at the break, and the home team didn’t score a single one. That shouldn’t change until the final whistle.
43:0 shots on goal for Lyon
Hegerberg stayed in the dressing room after the break and was replaced by Eugenie Le Sommer, an eight-time Champions League winner. In any case, Lyon didn’t let up. Alexandra Biroova saved on the line from a Däbritz shot. Gilles headed the ball onto the crossbar after a corner, and the defender was more accurate at the next corner to make it 4-0.
Both teams then made substitutions before Lyon added three more goals at the end. Marozsan from the penalty area and Diani, after a quick counter-attack, made up half the dozen before Däbritz finished into the top corner. In the end, the shot statistics were 43:0 in favor of the French women.
