The eight-time champions of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, Lyon, have advanced to the finals of UEFA after beating Arsenal 4-3 on aggregate on Saturday, securing their place in the Women’s Champions League final.
The record-holding European champions will be playing their twelfth Champions League final, having last claimed the title in 2022 when they defeated Barcelona 3-1 to secure their eighth championship.
However, they faced a setback in 2024, losing to Barcelona in the final by 0-2. In 2025, Lyon was eliminated by Arsenal in the semifinals. This year’s semifinal served as a chance for redemption following last year’s defeat, and Lyon secured this with a hard-fought victory in the second leg after having lost the first leg to Arsenal 2-1 on April 26 at the Emirates Stadium in London.
In that match, Jule Brand initiated the scoring for the French team in the 18th minute, but the Gunners equalised with an own goal by Ingrid Engen in the 58th minute, which followed a free-kick taken by Mariona Caldentey. Olivia Smith then netted the decisive goal in the 83rd minute, capitalising on a defensive mistake from Lyon.
Returning to the second leg at the Groupama Stadium, also known as Parc Olympique Lyonnais or the OL Stadium in Décines-Charpieu, near Lyon, France, the home team displayed resilience. It did not yield to the London visitors.
The home team, Lyon, kicked off the match with vigour and had an early goal from a set piece ruled out. However, they gained the advantage when Melchie Dumornay was brought down in the penalty area by defender Lotte Wubben-Moy, leading to a penalty being awarded after today’s match official from Italy, Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi, reviewed the incident using Video Assistant Referee (VAR). The highly experienced Wendie Renard stepped up to take the penalty and successfully converted it after a second attempt, as Arsenal’s goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar had moved off her line to save Renard’s initial shot.
Kadidiatou Diani extended Lyon’s lead to 2-0 for the match and 3-2 on aggregate, but Alessia Russo equalised on aggregate for Arsenal with her goal in the 75th minute.
With noticeable panic evident in Lyon’s defence, Arsenal appeared more dangerous in the second half, especially following Russo’s goal. However, the Gunners’ attempts were ultimately denied in the closing moments of the match when Brand netted the third and fourth goals on aggregate for Lyon, bringing the score to 4-3 overall. This was the final action of the game, as Lyon secured their place in the final after a hard-fought victory that could have easily swung in Arsenal’s favour, given their competitive performance.
Following their semifinal victory, Lyon is now pursuing their ninth title in their twelfth final appearance, which is set for 23 May in Oslo. They will face either Barcelona or Bayern Munich, who are set to play their second leg in Spain on Sunday, 3 May, after a 1-1 draw in Germany.
