Our Parisiennes returned to competition on Wednesday 22 April! Nearly three weeks after their Coupe de France semi-final win against Paris FC, the club from the capital was back at the Campus, this time for league action. Despite a busy international break for several players, the team was determined to keep their momentum going against Saint-Étienne, knowing a win would guarantee a play-off spot.
To face Saint-Étienne, Paulo César made several changes to the starting line-up, including Jade Le Guilly’s first start of the season. The central defender had only recently returned from a long-term injury suffered last summer, having played her first minutes of the season in the derby against Paris FC three weeks earlier. The Brazilian coach also welcomed back Rasheedat Ajibade in attack. The Nigerian international quickly made her presence felt, nearly opening the scoring in the 10th minute.
The first half-hour was largely dominated by Paris, who repeatedly threatened Alice Pinguet’s goal. The attacking trio stood out, with chances from Merveille Kanjinga (18', 33'), Ajibade (21'), and Romée Leuchter (30'). Just before half-time, Kanjinga came close again with a powerful header that narrowly missed the target (42').
Her persistence paid off shortly after the break. Set up brilliantly by Olga Carmona, Kanjinga beat Pinguet to open the scoring (52': 1–0). The goal allowed Paris to play with greater freedom, and they continued pushing forward in search of a second.
After struggling to convert earlier chances, Romée Leuchter eventually confirmed her status as the league’s top scorer by finishing a perfect cross from Elisa de Almeida (73': 2–0). Less than fifteen minutes before the end, the Dutch forward was substituted for Marie Lafontaine. At the same time, young Melissa Esdras made her professional debut, replacing De Almeida.
Lafontaine made an immediate impact, creating danger in the Saint-Étienne box and forcing a save from Pinguet (78'). Paris maintained their intensity until the final whistle, pushing for a third goal, but the Saint-Étienne goalkeeper denied Kanjinga a brace with another fine save. The score remained unchanged, and Paulo César’s side recorded their eighth consecutive win in all competitions.
Les Parisiennes have now officially qualified for the Arkéma Première Ligue play-offs and will look to solidify their second-place position behind Lyon when they travel to Fleury this Saturday 25 April at 21:00. They will then have just one league match remaining, against Strasbourg at the Campus on Wednesday, 6 May at 17:00.
