Arsenal will go into the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Lyon with a slight advantage, after the reigning European champions won 2-1 against the eight-time winners of the competition on Sunday in north London. Jule Brand had opened the scoring for OL from the start, but two defensive errors were costly: a csc from Ingrid Engen put the two teams back on level terms, before the tireless Olivia Smith sealed the late victory for the Gunners.
Twelve months ago, the two teams had already met at this stage of the competition: Lyon initially dominated 2-1 before surprisingly losing 4-1 at home. This qualification propelled Arsenal to the final, where they beat Barcelona at the end of a European journey full of twists and turns. This year, the situation has changed. After dominating Chelsea 3-1 in the first leg of the quarter-finals then validating their ticket 3-2 in the return, the reigning champions enter this semi-final with a slight advantage, even if they had to turn things around after Brand’s opening score in the 18th minute.
The Gunners reacted immediately: Caitlin Foord sent a header just over the bar just before half-time, then the chances multiplied after the break. Smith first sent a shot into the side net, then forced Christiane Endler into a remarkable save from another strike, while Kim Little saw a penalty canceled after being awarded, with the Gunners continuing to press. Just before the hour mark, the score was finally rebalanced: Caldentey’s low free kick was repelled by Endler before ending up in the back of the net despite Engen’s save.
Lyon, who left their star Melchie Dumornay on the bench as she recovers from injury, also had their chances, with a Korbin Shrader shot going just over the bar and a Kadidiatou Diani strike rattling the uprights. But the best chances late in the match fell to the Gunners. If Foord failed to convert the first, Smith took advantage of another defensive error to make the difference. Lindsey Heaps’ pass was imprecise, Engen waited for Endler, who was slow to come off his line, and Arsenal’s most expensive recruit gave his team the advantage seven minutes from time.
Trailing 2-1 at the same time last season before turning things around, the Gunners will not make the mistake of taking anything for granted. It should also be noted that they must play a Women’s Super League match in three days, with a squad reduced by the absence of several key players. Despite these constraints, Renee Slegers’ group put themselves in an ideal position to defend their Champions League title and reach a second consecutive final.
GOAL notes the Arsenal players at the Emirates Stadium…
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