Lyon cruised to an eight-goal victory over Servette Chenoa in the opening League Stage fixture of the UEFA Women's Champions League on Tuesday. The match at Stade de Genève ended 8-0, with Marie-Antoinette Katoto claiming a hat-trick and Melchie Dumornay adding two goals to a scoreline that made little sense. And here's the thing — we had tipped Servette to win, confident at 89%, but the match took a different turn entirely.
The visitors struck first through an own goal by Laia Balleste in the eighth minute, a moment that set the tone for what followed. Katoto then opened her account in the 28th hour before doubling her tally just before the break with a goal in the 40th minute. By then, the game had already slipped away from the home side. Dumornay added a second in the 45th minute plus one, and Katoto completed her treble in the 47th minute.
To be fair, the statistics told the same story. Lyon controlled 75 per cent of possession and registered nine shots on target compared to Servette's solitary effort. The hosts managed only one corner throughout the match while the visitors claimed nine. Servette's goalkeeper made three saves from shots that ought not to have been allowed to reach her. Things came to a head in the 68th minute when Laura Strik headed an own goal into her net.
Dumontay scored her second in the 54th minute before the bench began to empty. Both Katoto and Dumornay were replaced in the 65th minute, with Hegerberg coming on for Lyon shortly after. Servette made five substitutions in quick succession in the 72nd minute, bringing on Nataša Andonova, Joana Marchão, A. Muratović, Lily Yohannes and Selma Bacha. Benyahia added a late goal in the 89th minute to complete the scoring.
The result leaves Servette with nothing from their opening fixture while Lyon move into a commanding position in the new format. The home side had won their last five matches before this defeat, including victories over Sparta Prague and Grasshoppers, but none of that form translated to the Champions League stage. The gap between the two sides was not measured in goals alone — it was visible in every pass, every touch, every attempt that never found its mark.
