Arsenal will attempt to become the first British women’s club to reach back-to-back European finals on Saturday as they take a 2-1 first-leg lead to France in their semi-final against OL Lyonnes.
The holders arrived in the city known as the gastronomic capital of France on Friday to pleasant May sunshine glistening off the roof of the imposing Groupama Stadium, knowing that last season’s triumph will have whet their supporters’ appetite and that they have the chance to write more history. Arsenal, 2007 European champions, won the title for the second time last May with victory over Barcelona in the final.
To anybody else in the Women’s Super League, that is a cause for envy, but not to Lyonnes, who can almost scoff at such comparatively meagre success, next to their record eight European titles. They are aiming to reach a 12th final and will fancy their chances on home soil.
This is a repeat of last season’s semi-final. A year ago, Renée Slegers’ team were similarly in Lyon for the second leg but they were trailing 2-1 from the first leg and produced a stunning 4-1 victory. On Saturday, a performance of similar ruthlessness would surely send an in-form Arsenal through. They are full of confidence after Wednesday’s 7-0 dismantling of Leicester City. Arsenal’s Alessia Russo is the joint top scorer in the Champions League this term with eight goals.
Lyonnes were dealt a blow on Friday with their lightning-quick Malawi forward Tabitha Chawinga ruled out through injury. According to Uefa, Chawinga has recorded the fastest running speed in this competition this term, at 31.5km/h (19mph). But the home side were given a boost when the head coach, Jonatan Giráldez, said the France left-back Selma Bacha and Haiti midfielder Melchie Dumornay were available. Both were unused substitutes in the first leg, deemed not fit to feature.
Dumornay, widely regarded as one of the world’s best players, was instrumental as Lyonnes won 2-1 at Arsenal in the opening round of the league phase. She was sorely missed by her team at the Emirates last Sunday.
What damaged Lyonnes far more, though, were self-inflicted mistakes and they will need to tidy up their defending.
“What’s really important is the mindset,” said their midfielder Lindsey Heaps, the US captain. “We know what we have to do; we have to do better. Arsenal have some very good players, especially in midfield, but so do we … We know we have to control the game, focus on our own style of play, and better control the spaces. We’ve trained hard, collectively and individually. We’ll focus on tactical changes and our role to play, but above all, it’s the mentality that will make the difference on the pitch. We have to show what the team is capable of, show our winning mentality.”
Heaps, part of the US squad that won the 2019 World Cup final in the Groupama Stadium and beat England in the semi-final there (under her maiden name Horan), was also in the Lyon side who won the club’s most recent Champions League in 2022. A ninth European crown this month would be a first under the ownership of Michele Kang and a statement achievement for the ambitious US businesswoman, who also owns London City Lionesses and Washington Spirit.
Kang rebranded the club from Lyon to OL Lyonnes last year and spent significantly last summer, adding star names such as the France striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Lily Yohannes, as well as hiring Giráldez, a Champions League-winning head coach. They are unbeaten in the French top division so their toughest challenge comes in Europe and, to a degree, it feels as if their season has been gearing up for Saturday’s showdown.
The winners will reach 23 May’s final in Oslo, where they will face Barcelona or Bayern Munich, whose semi-final is at 1-1 before the second leg at the Camp Nou on Sunday.