The Parisiennes shine in the club and continue to assert themselves in the French team: Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Sandy Baltimore and Grace Geyoro form a decisive attacking triangle for PSG in the Champions League, before their semi-final first leg on Sunday against Barcelona ( 3:00 p.m.).
From the quartet in which the international winger Kadidiatou Diani normally also appears, there is only one trio left to challenge the Barcelona women, the best attack in the competition: Diani's injury package deprives the Parisians of an important offensive cartridge, the oldest (26 years old) from the usual magic square.
But Geyoro, Baltimore and Katoto hold the Parisian animation in their hands, thanks to their youth and their enthusiasm.
Grace Geyoro: the boss
To fuel the flamboyant attack line, midfielder Grace Geyoro takes on a little more depth each year in her impact on the pitch. At 23, the one who was to be the promise of the World Cup-2019 but had occupied the bench during the entire tournament has become the leader of the offensive animation of the France team, where the coach Corinne Deacon no longer hesitates to establish it systematically, even occasionally testing it for a more offensive role. Sign of progress in the last gesture: it is she who equalizes in Lyon in the quarter-final return of C1. “Grace grows through her game but also as a woman. She really has leadership in her, even if she doesn't necessarily know it yet. She has all the assets to become a top player ”,greeted her coach Olivier Echouafni in March.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto: the scorer
Far from the disappointment of the 2019 World Cup that she had missed, left aside by Deacon, Marie-Antoinette Katoto panics each season a little more the counters. Her power and technical ease make her currently the Championship's co-top scorer (20 goals) and the untouchable center-forward of the Bleues, with whom she has 10 goals in 17 selections at just 22 years old. Renowned reserved and not very talkative, especially with the press, the striker is also gradually asserting itself as a pillar of the locker room, with the Blue as at PSG, where we saw her lead the enthusiastic celebrations after the qualification against the 'OL. Deacon also had underlined, at the beginning of April, his growing importance in the encouragement to his partners, satisfied to see his player give voice duringa match against England where the Parisian quartet had been the great architect of victory (3-1).
Sandy Baltimore: The Promise
His youthful and smiling face contrasts with his firepower on his left wing: at just 21 years old, Sandy Baltimore has been one of the most beautiful revelations of the French Championship for a year.
Technically gifted and capable of lightning accelerations, the Parisian has signed 9 assists this season in D1, to the point of catching the eye of Deacon.
And his recital in early April against England in Caen, with a magnificent goal, justified all the promises.
"Sandy is having an extraordinary season", then complimented Corinne Deacon, the main interested party being content to underline "a good start to the year" even if "nothing has been acquired yet".
To pass a new course on Sunday against Barcelona in the Champions League, the young wing is in any case well surrounded.
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