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tom hamilton
Manchester United As they fell, they caught a glimpse of the team they hoped to become 3-0 To ol lyonnes Wednesday night. The French side is a wonderful case study for hopefuls of what it takes to build a team capable of challenging for both domestic and European honours.
OL Lyonesse has one foot in uefa women’s champions league As if there was ever any threat to the top four, given that they have won every match in France and Europe this season, bar one – their 3-3 draw juventusTogether chelsea And barcelonaThey are favorites to win overall victory and on Wednesday just outside Manchester they once again showed why. All three goals were wonderfully composed – the first a neat header tabitha chawingaAnd another beautiful attempt at amazing melchi dumornayWho then added another for good measure near full-time. United have made history by qualifying for the Champions League this year and although they lost at Leigh Sports Village on Wednesday evening, they will make it to the next stage of the competition. But there is an uneasiness as Mark Skinner openly asked his board in January for reinforcements to match the ambition of this team.
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United welcomed Lyon after a poor run of form. since that win Paris Saint Germain On 12 November, while United played with amazing cohesion, they lost their next two matches. Manchester City And VfL Wolfsburg But returned to winning ways against west ham united last Sunday. But, through it all, you felt that United were missing their younger team. Just as they manage this complex calendar and absences, they do not have the power in depth to change them.
Take the 37-year-old striker Rachel Williams – It was his first start of the season, and his first Champions League minutes – and against OL Lyon. A very experienced forward came along. elizabeth terland Wounded, while Skinner also chose to name England Pair ella toon And Jess Park on the bench next to Julia Zigiotti OlmeThese three are game-changing players, but Skinner said he was prioritizing altitude with the team he selected from the beginning, Of course, it’s also managing their small team and packed calendar, You can see this was an experimental United line-up,
United had little success in the first half, and although the hosts had a great chance to equalize before the break as Melanie Mallard fired home a header from a few meters out, it was their only chance. OL Lyon, on the other hand, were in complete control. United’s midfield barely got a kick of the ball in the first half and instead, Lyonesse were allowed to control the pace of the match Lindsey Heapswith juul brandDumornay and Chavinga are pulling the strings along with him.
Chawinga generally excelled Jayde Riviere A real test on the left and the irony cannot be ignored that in a match where Skinner prioritized height, it was one of the smaller players who stole the march with a header to put Lyonesse ahead. The French side should really have had more possession given their dominance, so it was no surprise to see United trio Zigiotti, Park and Toon come on the break.
United enjoyed more control in the middle of the pitch after the break, but this did not translate into clear chances. The pace of the match slowed as Lyonesse emptied their bench in the second half and switched seamlessly and the French side barely blinked. United showed more attacking effort and intent, but Lyonesse pressed harder, withstood the pressure and had a great chance to go 2–0 up in the 77th minute, as Dumorne danced through the United defense and put it on a plate for Brand, but his composed effort was comfortably saved. Fallon Tullis-JoyceBut they only had to wait three minutes for the fatal strike as Dumornay scored an incredible goal as he took a few touches on the edge of the box and then found the top right corner, He then got a second chance as United’s fullbacks again broke apart, allowing Dumornay to head it home,
It was a struggling evening for United, but what it did do was double down the club’s need to help nurture this upward trajectory.
“We’ve made history for Manchester United,” Skinner said after West Ham’s win at the weekend. “We are showing progress. Now we need to be aggressive in the window and bring in new players who will help the team develop.”
He said he wanted to strengthen the defence, midfield and forward; So at least he’s happy with the goalkeepers. But you can see why – if he is to continue to develop, the club simply have to support him. Although they are hoping for milly turner Soon to return, they will be without pregnant Céline Bizet for a long time and need reinforcements for their paper-thin squad. We have already seen some amazing United performances in the Champions League this season – the way they played against PSG was admirable – but their squad has too little depth to compete on many fronts. They have already made history in qualifying for the competition, but now it is time to maintain it with further investment.
Skinner said before the match that he wanted Lyon to “realize the strength of Man United and will be there.” OL Lyonesse repulsed that force with some ease. They are unabashedly intent on winning the entire competition this year, seeking their ninth Champions League crown, but this is their first title since their re-brand in May. They have changed drastically over the past seven months, but the values remain the same: anything less than a domestic-European double is unacceptable. Their depth will be the envy of most teams in the competition — Kadidiyatou Diani, corbin shredder, Marie-Antoinette Catotto, wendy renard, Lily Yohannes And ashley lawrence Everyone was watching from the bench as Lyons dominated the first half. And the truth is that they hardly let the match slip out of their grasp.
United now travel to Juventus next week still harboring hopes of a top four finish, but a playoff spot looks more likely. While for OL Lyon, it further cemented their position as tournament favorites with a finish in the top four. Their team was full of stars – both on the pitch and on the bench – showing the rest that this is what it takes when you move between Europe and domestic duties, barely miss a single match, and win match after match.
