Lyon 1-4 Arsenal (agg 3-5): Arsenal Women reach first WUC final in 18 years

Arsenal stunned record eight-time winners Lyon to reach the Champions League final for the first time in 18 years.

2024/2025 UEFA Women's Champions League

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Match Report

The Gunners, the only English team to have lifted this trophy when they triumphed in 2007, will now meet holders Barcelona in Lisbon on May 24. It was a brilliant display in France from Renee Slegers’ side who got off to the perfect start when Chloe Kelly’s early corner rebounded off Lyon keeper Christiane Endler and into the net.

Mariona Caldentey then produced a moment of magic in first-half stoppage time to double Arsenal’s lead, carving out space to arrow a shot into the far corner.

Arsenal struck again moments after the restart when Alessia Russo pounced to make it 3-0 before Caitlin Foord added a fourth with Melchie Dumornay’s late strike small consolation for Lyon.

Arsenal captain Kim Little praised boss Slegers, saying: ‘Her calmness and composure, her detail and her simplifying, the words before the game are like that and you can see that in our performances.

‘Barcelona are an incredible team and we are aware of their strengths, but I believe in this team and when we are at our best we can beat anyone.’

Barca had cruised into the final earlier in the day after overcoming Women’s Super League leaders Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate, romping to a 4-1 win in the second leg at Stamford Bridge.

Match Events

5' OWN GOAL! Olympique Lyonnais 0-1 Arsenal WFC

28' Highlight from Olympique Lyonnais vs Arsenal WFC

46' GOAL! Olympique Lyonnais 0-3 Arsenal WFC (A. Russo)

47' GOAL! Olympique Lyonnais 0-2 Arsenal WFC

63' GOAL! Olympique Lyonnais 0-4 Arsenal WFC (C. Foord)

76' Match Event for Olympique Lyonnais vs Arsenal WFC

81' GOAL! Olympique Lyonnais 1-4 Arsenal WFC (M. Dumonay)

Line-ups

Olympique Lyonnais XI: W. Renard, L. Horan, A. Hegerberg, K. Diani, C. Endler, E. Carpenter, S. Bacha, V. Gilles, Damaris Egurrola, Tabitha Chawinga, M. Dumonay

Subs: E. Le Sommer, D. van de Donk, D. Marozsán, L. Benkarth, A. Majri, S. Däbritz, S. Huerta, S. Svava, V. Becho, A. Sombath, Elma Novah Junttila-Nelhage, Tarciane

Arsenal WFC XI: K. Little, S. Catley, C. Foord, Mariona Caldentey, K. McCabe, F. Leonhardsen Maanum, L. Williamson, C. Kelly, E. Fox, D. van Domselaar, A. Russo

Subs: A. Ilestedt, L. Wälti, M. Zinsberger, S. Blackstenius, V. Pelova, B. Mead, K. Cooney-Cross, J. Nighswonger, C. Wubben-Moy, Rusul Rosa Kafaji, Katie Reid, Naomi Williams