Potsdam and Lyon still winning
Sunday, May 15, 2011
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Both finalists have maintained their good domestic form with 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam earning a place in the Frauen-Bundesliga Cup decider and Olympique Lyonnais perfect in France.
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Five straight wins have ensured 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam will warm up for the UEFA Women's Champions League final by playing in next Saturday's Frauen Bundesliga Cup decider while Olympique Lyonnais are now one match from completing a perfect Division 1 Féminine season.
The German top division ended in March to allow the national team to prepare for the FIFA Women's World Cup on home soil but players not involved have been representing their clubs in a one-off domestic competition. Two groups of six decided the finalists and Potsdam won all of their five fixtures at that stage.
Having started with two victories, they travelled to the side they beat in the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals, FCR 2001 Duisburg and won 3-0, including two goals from Natasa Andonova. They then beat Herforder SV 9-0 and needing a draw to hold off VfL Wolfsburg, came from behind to prevail 3-2, Andonova claiming the winner to take her tally to seven. FC Bayern München will take on Potsdam on Saturday after five Group A victories, 1. FFC Frankfurt coming bottom with a large national-team contingent unavailable.
Lyon, who will aim to reverse their 2010 final defeat by Potsdam when the teams meet again at Craven Cottage in London on 26 May, are one game from completing their first perfect French top-flight season. Long confirmed as champions for the fifth year running, their 20th and 21st victories both came against AS Saint-Étienne over the last two Sundays, a 6-0 away win followed by an 8-0 home success, including a Louisa Nécib hat-trick, which also took their goal tally for the season to 101. Toulouse FC stand between Lyon and a flawless campaign on 29 May.
Also on Sunday, FCF Juvisy-Essonne's hopes of a return to the UEFA Women's Champions League, where they lost to Potsdam in the quarter-finals this season, were ended despite a 4-2 defeat of Toulouse. That was because the two teams four points ahead, Montpellier Hérault SC and Paris Saint-Germain FC, respectively beat FCF Nord Allier 3-1 and bottom side ESOF La Roche-sur-Yon 6-1. The pair are matched in the last game of the season with home side PSG needing to beat Montpellier – who face Saint-Étienne in the French Cup final on Saturday – to earn a European debut.