OL Lyonnes Defeat Manchester United 2-0 in Women's Champions League Clash
OL Lyonnes secured a 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the Women's Champions League match held at Leigh Sports Village. The opening goal came from Tabitha Chawinga, who headed home from an Ingrid Engen cross to put Lyonnes ahead 1-0. Manchester United struggled to create meaningful chances, with their best moment before half-time being Melvine Malard’s header that went over the crossbar. Lyonnes' goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce was largely untested throughout the game.
Manchester United manager Marc Skinner made five changes to his starting lineup, inserting Rachel Williams as the central striker while benching Ella Toone and Jess Park. At half-time, he introduced three substitutes including Park, Toone, and Julia Zigiotti Olme to add pace and energy, but Lyonnes continued to pose a threat. Around the hour mark, Ada Hegerberg narrowly missed a scoring opportunity for Lyonnes.
In the final minutes, Melchie Dumornay sealed the win for Lyonnes by scoring twice, once in the 81st minute and again after the 90th minute. Lyonnes' midfield control, led by Dumornay and Damaris Egurrola, was a key factor in their performance. Skinner remarked that Lyonnes are probably one of the best teams to ever play in the sport.
This defeat damages Manchester United's prospects of finishing in the top four of their group and securing a quarter-final spot, while Lyonnes are now almost assured of qualifying for the knockout stage.
