Lyon thrash Servette 8-0 as Marie-Antoinette Katoto scores a hat-trick, while Barcelona recover to beat Paris FC 5-2 in Europe

Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Melchie Dumornay inspired OL Lyonnes to an emphatic 8-0 victory over Servette in Geneva on Wednesday, while Barcelona head coach Pere Romeu saw the defending champions recover from an early setback to beat Paris FC 5-2 in the Women’s Champions League.

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The results gave two of Europe’s most decorated women’s clubs eye-catching starts to the 2026/27 league phase, although their routes to victory were markedly different.

Lyon controlled their contest almost from the outset, while Barcelona had to respond after Paris FC struck inside five minutes.

Katoto was the standout figure in Geneva, completing a hat-trick as eight-time European champions Lyon produced the biggest winning margin in the Women’s Champions League league phase since the format was introduced for the 2025/26 season.

Laia Ballesté inadvertently put Lyon ahead inside eight minutes before Katoto added the second shortly before the half-hour mark. The French side then accelerated after the interval, reaching six goals before the hour.

Dumornay scored twice, including an accomplished chip, while Magdalena Sobal added a second own goal for Servette. Substitute Ines Benyahia completed the remarkable scoreline with a late strike. UEFA named Katoto Player of the Match.

The scale of the result was striking even by Lyon’s standards. The French club entered the campaign as last season’s runners-up and have won the competition a record eight times.

Dumornay said the team had been determined to make a strong start.

“We wanted to start in the best way possible,” Dumornay told UEFA. She added that she was “very happy” with the collective performance and with the clean sheet.

For Barcelona, the evening brought a different kind of challenge.

Paris FC stunned the holders when Evelyne Viens fired into the roof of the net in the fifth minute at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.

Barcelona responded through Kerolin and Clara Serrajordi before Ewa Pajor turned the match decisively in the hosts’ favour.

Pajor scored twice, while Caroline Graham Hansen supplied an assist and was named Player of the Match.

The Norwegian also combined with Pajor again before half-time, helping Barcelona establish control after their initially uncomfortable start.

Pajor’s second goal took her to 17 in the group-stage and league-phase history of the competition, drawing her level with former Chelsea striker Sam Kerr at the top of that particular scoring list.

Clara Mateo pulled one back for Paris FC following a quick counter-attack, but Barcelona remained comfortable enough to see out the contest and begin their title defence with three points.

The result carries added significance for Barcelona after a summer of change. The four-time European champions lost several prominent players, including Alexia Putellas, Ona Batlle, Salma Paralluelo and Mapi León, but retained a core led by Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí and prolific forward Pajor.

Wednesday’s other matches produced a more restrained set of results.

Wieke Kaptein scored a superb first-half goal as Chelsea defeated Austria Wien 1-0 at AFC Wimbledon Stadium. Austria Wien created opportunities of their own, with Modesta Uka hitting the post, but Chelsea held on for a narrow opening victory. Kaptein was named Player of the Match.

OH Leuven and Roma played out a 0-0 draw, with Roma substitute Marta Pandini striking the post from a late penalty. Jada Conijnenberg was named Player of the Match for Leuven.

The first matchday had already produced several notable results on Tuesday, including Manchester City’s 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich and Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over HB Køge. Inter beat Häcken 1-0, Benfica defeated Juventus 2-1, while Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain drew 1-1.

The 2026/27 competition is being played under the league-phase format introduced last season, with 18 clubs competing in a single table.

The top four teams will advance directly to the quarter-finals, while teams finishing fifth to 12th will enter the knockout play-offs.

Matchday two will bring an early meeting between Lyon and Chelsea on September 30, while Barcelona travel to Roma on the same evening. Paris FC will host Arsenal, giving the French side an immediate opportunity to respond after their defeat in Catalonia.

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For now, Lyon’s eight-goal display has provided the headline result of the opening round, while Barcelona’s comeback has shown that the defending champions can still find a response when a European night begins unexpectedly.