Christiane Endler collides with Ingrid Engen during Arsenal – OL Lyonnes (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
A year after the lost semi-final, OL Lyonnes met Arsenal this Sunday afternoon. Largely pushed aside by the Gunners, the Fenottes returned to Lyon with a goal to spare on the return leg after the 2-1 defeat.
From our special correspondent in London.
It’s the month everyone’s been waiting for. Ada Hegerberg did not hide it on Saturday, on the eve of going to London. This period of the season is exciting, but is also the one where OL Lyonnes must respond. There is therefore a mixture of a desire to fight but also the pressure of not making it through at the worst of times. The Lyonnaises had the bitter experience last season at this same stage of the competition and against this same opponent. So there was a feeling that we wouldn’t take them up on that again. However, there is the discourse and the reality on the ground. This Sunday, at halftime of the double confrontation, OL Lyonnes has a goal deficit to make up for (2-1 defeat) when it comes time to attack the return match next Saturday.
A happy advantage at the break
In an Emirates Stadium which attracted 26,758 spectators, the face of Lyon was far from being the most attractive. Forced to do without Melchie Dumornay, Selma Bacha or even Tabitha Chawinga, not at 100% and remaining on the bench in London, Jonatan Giraldez had bet on a 100% American environment, rather than a Damaris. The message was clear, have some control over the ball. But nothing went as planned. Possession, the Lyonnaises practically did not have it, jostled by the desire of London. The battle in the middle was for the Gunners without it leading to any big chances.
After the storm, there was even a nice clearing for Wendie Renard’s teammates. Against the run of play, Jule Brand came to air-condition the Emirates Stadium in the 19th minute. This was the only good news of the afternoon, because it almost turned into a nightmare. At half-time, we said to ourselves that everything was hanging by a thread, even if Arsenal had not put Endler in any more danger than that. But the return from the locker room gave rise to a carbon copy of the first half with Arsenal wanting more and glaring Lyon approximations.
Endler’s dumpling that restarts everything
Two alerts from Smith (50th, 54th) and a penalty finally canceled by the VAR (52nd) suggested the worst. This came just before the hour mark with a swelling blunder. On an attempted combination between Mariona and Blackstenius on a free kick, the Chilean completely missed her intervention, Engen scoring against her camp in a last-chance save. With eleven shots to two for Arsenal in the 60th, OL Lyonnes would certainly look to turn their backs.
But, better than that, Diani had the opportunity to put his own back in front on an offer from the English defense. But the French international hit the bar (66th) and the Fenottes missed their chance. It was ultimately Arsenal who took the advantage almost logically in the 83rd minute, but again with a goal. Following a poor delivery from Heaps, the misunderstanding between Engen and Endler benefited Smith. At 2-1 and despite the various changes, there was not this burst of reaction. Next Saturday, there will be no need to calculate: we will have to win at home, whatever the cost.
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