Substitute at kick-off, as she was reduced due to illness, Kadidiatou Diani showed quite the opposite on the pitch. His entry, coupled with the goal conceded, changed the face of the match between OL and Roma (4-1).
After the meeting, Wendie Renard was the first to spill the beans: an onset of illness had taken over the presence of Kadidiatou Diana on the field from the kick-offOL – AS Roma (4-1), Wednesday evening. In view of the performance of the French attacker, the Fenottes would not be against seeing her reduced more often. This Thursday, the Lyon team is officially qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League, all after only four group days played. However, the scenario on Wednesday evening could have been very different and the 4,000 spectators present at Parc OL can thank Diani.
By entering in the 63rd minute, the number 11 simply gave a boost to a listless team for more than an hour of play. As usual, Kadidiatou Diana did not want to pull the blanket over herself. However, there was definitely an OL without Diani and another with her. “We know her qualities. She was a little ill yesterday (Tuesday) so she couldn't start the match. She only had around twenty minutes in her legs. We saw that it was enough to be decisive”welcomed Joe Montemurro after the victory against AS Roma.
Percussion with its entrance
The performance of the former Parisian allowed the Australian coach to erase a shaky starting line-up with the presence of Daniëlle van de Donk as a power forward and Melchie Dumornay on the right side. The combination with Chawinga did not work for more than an hour, with OL showing no connection in their transitions and sometimes being too easy in certain phases of possession. The speech was strong at the break, however, nothing really changed after the locker room and we can even be surprised to have seen Montemurro wait so long to change something.
Was it the shaky physique of Diani, the only real percussion player on the bench, that forced him to have to wait? It could well be, because as if by magic, everything returned to normal once Dumornay has realigned and Diani has regained her right side. The opening score of the Roma certainly came to taint this change in the face of OL, but it at least had the merit “to do us good, because our backs are against the wall and we have to move”noted Captain Renard.
“A different feeling when you are decisive”
If the timeless defender finished the show with her head as usual, it was her compatriot who stood out before the eyes of Laurent Bonadei and part of the staff of the French women's team. Author of a double in two minutes (77th, 79th), Kadidiatou Diana then made her sense of the collective speak for herself by perfectly launching Eugénie The Sommer for Lyon 3-1. Top scorer in the Champions League last season, Diani once again shone on the European scene and removed a big thorn in her team's side.
After her almost anecdotal double in the derby on Saturday (11-0), Kadidiatou Diani this time played a real role of savior, even if she willingly let go of it. “It's true that it's a different feeling when you're decisive, but I'm always happy to score at any time.” With Diani, Dumornay et HelloOL have the advantage at the start of the season of having three elements which complement each other in each match.
