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Lyon v Paris: semi-final preview

Paris Saint-Germain travel to the Stade de Lyon for the first leg of their semi-final hoping to repeat their rare win against their French rivals in last season's round of 16

Action from last season's tie between Paris and Lyon
Action from last season's tie between Paris and Lyon ©AFP/Getty Images
  • 2015 runners-up Paris hope to repeat last-16 elimination of Lyon last season
  • Lyon three points clear of Paris in France after 5-0 home win and 0-0 away draw
  • Paris duo Shirley Cruz Traña and Jessica Houara-d'Hommeaux suspended
  • Second leg on 1 May at Parc des Princes
  • Final on 26 May in Reggio Emilia v Wolfsburg or FFC Frankfurt

Team news:
Lyon

Injured: Méline Gérard, Claire Lavogez

• Wendie Renard, Amandine Henry and Louisa Nécib were rested in last Sunday's 9-0 French Cup semi-final thrashing of Rodez with Ada Hegerberg starting on the bench.

Paris
Suspended: Shirley Cruz Traña, Jessica Houara-d'Hommeaux

• Both players will be available next week at Parc des Princes. With all other bookings now wiped out, the only way anyone can be suspended for the second leg is a red card on Sunday.

Competition top scorers:
Lyon: Ada Hegerberg 10 (overall competition top scorer)
Paris: Cristiane 6

Semi-final records:
Lyon: W4 L2
Paris: W1 L0

Free-scoring Ada Hegerberg of Lyon
Free-scoring Ada Hegerberg of Lyon©Getty Images

This season's meetings:
27 September (league): Lyon 5-0 Paris (Hegerberg 38 53 80, Majri 42,
Houara-d'Hommeaux 80og)
5 February (league): Paris 0-0 Lyon

Past European meetings:
2014/15 round of 16
Paris 1-1 Lyon (Alushi 49; Pettit 21), Lyon 0-1 Paris (Alushi 79): Paris win 2-1 on agg.

They say:
Jean-Michel Aulas, Lyon president
In women's football we now have the know-how we once had with the men [when Lyon won seven Ligue 1 titles in a row from 2002 to 2008], which is unrivalled. That said, the gap with PSG is very thin. In our last [European] meeting, they beat us. This tie is 50/50.

Paris's Laura Georges, a UEFA winner with Lyon
Paris's Laura Georges, a UEFA winner with Lyon©Eric Baledent/Moustic Prod

Laura Georges, Paris defender
We'll need lots of focus, sharp passing and attacking, and we have to be very strong at the back. There is a rivalry between Paris, who aim to become European greats, and Lyon, keen on staying at the top. For them, it will be like revenge, while we want to show we can do well.

Key facts:
• Fatmire Alushi, the Paris hero in last season's tie, has not played since the 2015 final loss to Frankfurt due to maternity leave.

• Two-time European champions Lyon were involved in the only other previous all-French tie, when they saw off Juvisy 3-0 at home and 6-1 away in the 2012/13 semi-finals.

• Despite last term's European exit, Lyon have dominated Paris at domestic level. Overall in 29 competitive meetings since Paris were promoted in 2004, Lyon have won 21, drawn five and lost three against their rivals, and have claimed the last nine league titles.

• While Lyon were moving into the French Cup final on Sunday, Paris lost on penalties at Montpellier.

• The Paris squad includes former Lyon players Kenza Dali, Georges, Rosana and suspended Cruz Traña. Other than Dali, all won the UEFA Women's Champions League in 2011 or 2012 with Lyon.

• Lyon's Camille Abily spent part of season 2009/10 at Paris on loan from the United States, in between her two OL spells. Back-up Lyon goalkeeper Méline Gérard began her senior career with Paris.

• Abily is one win from becoming the first player to register 50 victories in the competition. Louisa Necib is one behind on 48 and Élodie Thomis has 46 in an all-Lyon top three.

• Paris striker Anja Mittag this term moved ahead of Conny Pohlers as the competition's all-time top individual scorer on 49 goals.

• Lyon forward Hegerberg is four off the record of 14 goals in a single campaign, set by Conny Pohlers in 2004/05 for Turbine Potsdam and equalled by Margrét Lára Vidarsdóttir of Valur Reykjavík in 2008/09 and Frankfurt's Célia Šašić in 2014/15.

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