With 5 wins out of 5, the Parisians take the lead

A mouth-watering Ile-de-France derby to continue their unbeaten run at the top of the Arkema Première Ligue: the stakes were high for Paris Saint-Germain's Women's team on Friday evening. Up against FC Fleury 91, the Rouge et Bleu were determined to build on their success in the league. For the match, Fabrice Abriel, who knows his opponents well, opted for a starting XI based on a 4-3-3 formation, with the trio of Traoré-Leuchter-Karchaoui up front.

In a match marked by a reunion after Paris Saint-Germain's 1-0 triumph against the same team in the final of the last Coupe de France, the match was expected to be a hard-fought affair. Always faithful to their game plan, Les Rouge et Bleu approached the match with a proactive approach: a high level of collective control, long sequences of possession and a desire to impose their game on their opponents. On the other side, Frédéric Biancalani's team had a good defensive block to close down the gaps and attack on the counter-attack as soon as the ball was recovered.

In this tight game, it was the Parisians who struck first. After a first half-hour dominated in all areas of the game, with Korbin Albert and Sakina Karchaoui both testing Constance Picaud (17', 18'), the Rouge et Bleu found the opening through a fine team move. Romée Leuchter's brillitant work on the right set up Korbin Albert, who beat the goalkeeper with a subtle finish (1-0, 37').

With almost 70% of the possession, Paris Saint-Germain had all the ingredients they needed for this match. But the Fleury players fought back after the break. The Parisian rearguard showed some character to repel the opposition's attacks, but Mary Earps was beaten on the half-volley by Aïssata Traoré (1-1, 66')...

It was a frustrating situation for the Parisians, who once again upped the tempo and threw everything they had into the battle. In a last half-hour that was a lot more open in tactical terms, the Rouge et Bleu dominated the ball and  eventually found a way through to get the breakthrough. After winning the ball back high up the pitch, Grace Geyoro set up Sakina Karchaoui, whose clinical finish gave Constance Picaud no chance (2-1, 80'). Like Korbin Albert earlier in the evening, the French international scored her 2nd league goal of the season in the process. It was a lead that the Parisians held on to until the final whistle.

The Paris Saint-Germain Women's team have now won their fifth Arkema Première Ligue match in a row. The result means that the Rouge et Bleu now sit at the top of the table, provisionally ahead of their rivals Lyon. As luck would have it, the two teams will meet again on 3 November when Paris travels to Lyon, in what promises to be a great encounter for French football. We're already rubbing our hands...