Frankfurt and Lyon boost domestic bids

UEFA Women's Champions League finalists 1. FFC Frankfurt and Olympique Lyonnais have kept their title hopes alive after returning to domestic action.

Just over a week ago both teams booked their place at Munich's Olympiastadion on 17 May but they are each having to make up league deficits. Having won their semi-final against Arsenal LFC on 21 April, Frankfurt visited FC Bayern München four days later and won 2-1. They then defeated SC Freiburg 7-0 with an Ana Maria Crnogorcević hat-trick inside 26 minutes.

With three games remaining Frankfurt are fourth, three points behind leaders VfL Wolfsburg. FCR 2001 Duisburg are a point behind in second and 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam one further back but they have a game in hand at SC 07 Bad Neuenahr on Wednesday. Frankfurt's remaining league fixtures are against the top three, starting with a trip on Sunday to champions Potsdam, and the following Saturday their last game before facing Lyon is the German Cup final against Bayern in Cologne.

Lyon, who defeated Potsdam in their last-four tie, reached the French Cup final on Saturday with an 8-0 win at second-division Arras Football, Ami Otaki scoring three. Then on Tuesday they moved up to second in the league ahead of Montpellier Hérault SC thanks to another 8-0 victory, against Yzeure Allier Auvergne FF, Otaki on target again while Lotta Schelin and Lara Dickenmann both struck twice. However, Sweden forward Schelin left the pitch injured.

Unbeaten Lyon are still three points adrift of leaders FCF Juvisy Essonne but have a game in hand in the league, where four points are awarded for a win, two for a draw and one for a loss. Lyon play lowly ASJ Soyaux-Charente on Sunday and on 13 May meet Montpellier in the cup final in Bourges. The league could go to a direct decider when Lyon visit Juvisy on 3 June for their last fixture.