It’s the season’s first big measurement. OL Lyonnes host PSG on Saturday, September 27 (21:00 CEST / 3:00 p.m. ET) at Groupama Stadium, live on Canal+ Foot. Lyon arrive perfect through two (6 pts) after a controlled derby win at Saint-Étienne; PSG tuned up by scoring five against Nantes in their home opener. The hinge storyline is clear: Olga Carmona is expected back in full training this week, but her selection is still a genuine day-to-day — and it changes how PSG build and defend down their left.
Team news — Carmona watch, and what it triggers
Carmona’s situation is the week’s fulcrum. Club coverage and Canal+ reporting indicate the Spain international should rejoin group training in this week after missing sessions, but there’s no official green light yet. If she’s ready to start, PSG can lock the left-back slot with a true specialist, freeing Sakina Karchaoui to reprise the left-mid/left-8 role she occupied versus Nantes. If Carmona is short, Karchaoui likely drops to left-back, and Paulo César must choose how to replace that interior control (Jackie Groenen higher, or a more direct winger profile).
Lyon’s picture is more stable. Jonatan Giráldez managed minutes smartly in the derby win, with Selma Bacha decisive on restarts and Marie-Antoinette Katoto opening her Lyon account. With depth across the front line and in midfield, OL can tilt the board toward their right flank without overexposing the back line.
Tactical focus — the left side decides the right side
If Carmona starts, PSG gain build-up stability and better recovery speed against Kadidiatou Diani (or Jule Brand) attacking OL’s right channel, plus the overlaps beyond them. That in turn lets Karchaoui step higher to combine with Ajibade, pinning Bacha deeper and limiting her deliveries.
If Carmona doesn’t start: PSG must still protect the far-post zone. OL routinely manufacture weak-side overloads, with Diani/Brand arriving late to the back stick and Lily Yohannes links play. The near-side pivot has to help the left-back track late runners, and Earps must command crosses when Bacha swings in set-pieces.
Either way, transitions are the swing state. Ajibade’s direct running and Romée Leuchter’s early shot selection powered PSG’s 5–2 over Nantes; against Lyon’s back line, the first pass after regains has to be ruthless into space behind the full-back, before Wendie Renard and the OL screen can reset. For Lyon, the counter-press around Bacha’s side must be tidy: lose that second ball and Ajibade is sprinting into grass.
Form guide — what last weekend actually told us
PSG 5–2 Nantes was about variety: an early own goal drawn by Merveille Kanjinga’s pressure, a classic Leuchter finish, Ajibade supplying and scoring actions, Florianne Jourde striking late — and a headed goal from a set-piece to underline the aerial threat. The concession of two late goals is the caveat; concentration in the final quarter-hour can’t wobble in Lyon.
Lyon 2–0 Saint-Étienne read like a template: break it open from a set play before half-time, then close the match with control and a striker’s finish. The left boot of Bacha remains a cheat code for field position; Katoto’s movement in the box changes how back lines defend the penalty spot and first rebound. If Lyon reach their best pressing height on the right, they can funnel PSG’s exits into turnovers 35–45 metres from goal.
Duels to circle
- Diani/Brand vs PSG’s left-back (Carmona or Karchaoui): the matchup that dictates territory.
- Bacha’s deliveries vs PSG’s set-piece marking: first and second contacts around Renard/Katoto.
- Leuchter’s movement vs Renard’s line: can PSG find early shots before Lyon set their block?
What decides it
Far-post discipline on Lyon’s right-side switches.
PSG’s left-channel exits under pressure — one clean vertical ball can flip the field.
Set-plays. Bacha’s left foot vs PSG’s aerial unit could be the highest-leverage phase in a tight match.
Edge (on paper): Lyon by a nose at home — unless Carmona is fully fit, which raises PSG’s ceiling on both sides of the ball and turns this into a coin-flip.