Lyon Move To Within Brink Of Twelfth Women’s Champions League Final

Olympique Lyonnais won the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final 2-1 away to Arsenal to make themselves odds-on to reach a record twelfth final.

Lyon, the eight-time winners of the women’s Champions League, were playing in their 14th semi-final and had not lost at this stage since 2009, the year before the competition was rebranded from the UEFA Women’s Cup.

Before the game, Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps had questioned whether Arsenal, or any club, could contain their formidable front three of Kadidiatou Diani, Melchie Dumornay and Tabitha Chawinga. With captain Wendie Renard not fully fit after a foot injury, she was named as a substitute on a formidable Lyon bench.

Also not included in the starting line-up was the competition’s record goalscorer, Ada Hegerberg, the club’s leading goalscorer, Éugenie Le Sommer, two of the leading assist-makers in the Champions League, Amel Majri and Dzsenifer Marozsán and another German Olympic Gold Medalist, Sara Däbritz, illustrating the depth of their squad.

Lyon fired an early warning shot when Daniëlle van de Donk should have scored following up after Zinsberger parried a fierce drive from Selma Bacha. However, of Lyon’s famed front three, it was Diani who shone in the first half, repeatedly attacking Arsenal down the flank.

In the 17th minute, Diani raced down the right wing before arrowing in a cross-shot past Manuela Zinsberger. The assistant referee initially waved her flag to signal for offside but after a length VAR check, Romanian referee Alina Pesu awarded a goal after EmiIy Fox was adjudged to have played Diani onside. It was Diani’s 27th goal in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and her 15th in the competition in just two seasons at Lyon.

Arsenal had their fair share of possession but struggled to create clear chances. Midway through the first half, Beth Mead headed a left wing center back across goal and Frida Maanum should have done better than glance the ball wide. In contrast, Lyon were a constant threat on the counter attack. Damaris was close to scoring with a header from a corner and Dumornay struck the crossbar with a marvellousy-weighted shot from 40 yards out with Zinsberger caught off her line.

The English side came close to equalising either side of half-time when first Alessia Russo headed a Katie McCabe free kick against the crossbar before the break, and then after it, Caitlin Foord had a shot smothered by Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler.

Thereafter, Arsenal gathered new momentum, creating further chances from cross balls. From a corner, Endler was adjudged to have fouled Leah Williamson by VAR and referee Pesu awarded Arsenal a penalty which Mariona Caldentey converted. The home side’s joy was short-lived as Dumornay, described by Heaps earlier this week as one of the best players in the world, restored Lyon’s lead late on.

Speaking to me after the game, Lyon midfielder Daniëlle van de Donk, who spent six seasons at Arsenal, admitted the game changed in the second half. “I think we were 1-0 ahead so we knew Arsenal were going to come out and do something different and they did that very well. They just kept the ball a bit better than us. They just kind of played it around, waiting for the pocket in midfield to open up. That’s how they attacked. We knew they were going to do that, so we tried just to avoid it a little bit but I think after our goal, we were dominant again. . . Yeah, it was an interesting game.”

I asked Van De Donk if she felt that Lyon’s attacking trident could almost create chances out of nothing. “True,” she told me. “They’re amazing, they’re such good players. I think in this team, it doesn’t really matters who plays. I think they’re all so good. I feel very honored, very grateful that I can be in this team.”

On playing in front of 45,045 fans at her former home, Van de Donk joked “I find it a difficult question because 40,000 people are not for me! They are screaming for my opponents. It’s nice to see that the game’s so involving in England. I’m very happy for Arsenal that they can get more than 40,000 people and – so many times – a full stadium to their games. I think that’s amazing for women’s football. I hope that continues and keeps growing.”

Arsenal are playing in their eighth semi-final of the Champions League, but of the previous seven, they have only progressed to the final once. That was in 2007, the year they became the only English side to win the women’s Champions League. This season, both the Arsenal men’s and women’s teams have reached the last four of their respective Champions League competitions, both eliminating Real Madrid in the quarter-finals with 3-0 victories at the Emirates Stadium.

Previously, Chelsea has been, in 2021, the only club to have reached the final of the men’s and women’s Champions League final in the same season. With Arsenal and FC Barcelona in the semi-finals of both competitions either, or both, could match that feat this year.

For Arsenal to reach the final in Lisbon at the end of May, they will now have to replicate their performance on their last visit to Groupama Stadium in September 2022 when they won 5-1 away to Lyon in the group stage of the Champions League. The second leg will be played next Sunday.