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Brand sends in the corner from the left, to the far post. Diani gets her right boot high up to find a small gap at the near post and give Lyon the lead in the tie.
GOAL! OL Lyonnes 2-0 Arsenal (agg: 3-2) – Diani 36
It’s been coming.
35 min: Dumornay makes an excellent run into the area, over on the right. She is fed by Diani before a fizzing cross is sent across goal. Lyon have a corner.
34 min: Lyon continue their domination on the ball.
33 min: Yohannes has the chance to play in Hegerberg … but overcooks a lofted ball through the middle.
31 min: The free-kick is wasted, travelling out for a goalkick. Brand picks up the ball on the left for Lyon, cutting inside, but overhits her diagonal ball searching for Diani on the other wing.
30 min: Foord wins a free-kick in midfield, over on the left-hand side. Time to get it in the mixer.
29 min: Caldentey is crowded out in midfield as Arsenal struggle to keep the ball.
26 min: Arsenal finally look alive as Russo plays in Blackstenius … but Renards delivers a late, desperate, sliding interception.
24 min: It’s been an eventful opening quarter. The dangerous Dumornay wriggles inside the area to get a shot off but a deflection takes out any venom.
Tom Garry
The OL Lyonnes supporters are bouncing up and down to the beat of the drum, full of belief, full of noise. This crowd is loving what they’re seeing so far. The French side are well on top and causing Arsenal all sorts of problems.
GOAL! OL Lyonnes 1-0 Arsenal (agg: 2-2) – Renard pen 21
Renard goes to the right again, and Van Domselaar guesses incorrectly.
The penalty will be retaken!
Van Domselaar moved to her left to deny Renard … but we’re going to have a retake! The keeper was off the line before the ball was kicked. Oh, the drama. I love it.
Van Domselaar saves!
Brilliant from the Arsenal keeper.
Penalty to Lyonnes!
The referee points to the spot. Dumornay was a touch too quick for Wubben-Moy, the centre-half catching the Haiti international’s right boot.
17 min: The ref’s going to the monitor. Not looking good for Arsenal.
16 min: Dumornay goes down inside the area after Wubben-Moy goes in for a challenge … time for VAR to have a look.
14 min: Arsenal are camped inside their own half as Lyon work it round. Fox just about nicks the ball after battling with Brand inside the Arsenal box.
13 min: The scoreline is in Arsenal’s favour but Lyon have taken the opening exchanges here.
On first glance it’s not entirely clear why that’s not been given – VAR has a look and it’s deemed offside, with Lyon’s Engen stood right by Van Domselaar, getting in the way of the keeper. Tough beat for Lyon.
DISALLOWED GOAL!
It’s Lyon’s turn for a corner, with Bacha delivering to the far post, and Heaps heads in … but it’s not been given.
5 min: Blackstenius wins a corner for Arsenal … McCabe delivers to the far post, Wubben-Moy heads it back into the middle and Little’s shot is blocked! Though the whistle goes for a foul by Arsenal. Never mind.
4 min: Lyon get a good look at the ball. Arsenal were cut open a little too easily with that chance for Hegerberg a couple minutes ago.
2 min: Huge chance. Lyon work it nicely from left to right before the cross comes in for Hegerberg, there to volley it in from close range. But she fails to make correct contact … though replays show she was offside.
1 min: Arsenal get us going, driving down the right flank.
Peeeeep!
Here we go. Who’s off to Oslo?
Zach Neeley writes in:
Russo, Mariona, Foord, Blackstenius, Smith all on the field. Slegers seems to have found her best team by filling it with attacking players. Also a tribute to how much Kim Little can still cover.
The players leave the tunnel, the legendary Wendie Renard leading out Lyonnes.
Tom Garry
Thousands of white, red and blue flags were left on the seats for the Ol Lyonnes supporters and they are waving their aloft now as their team jog off the pitch at the end of their warmup. The atmosphere is building nicely. There are also around 600 Arsenal fans high the stand opposite us, making themselves heard.
Gordon in Aberdeen writes in:
To my mind, Arsenal’s success in Europe has been largely based on analysis of the opposition, and stopping them playing by marking, defensive positional play, and blocking passing lanes. Lyonnes need to spring a tactical surprise on Arsenal today in order to win this tie. Starting Dumornay is a step towards that - but persisting with Hegerberg, so ineffectual in the first leg v Arsenal and both QF games v Wolfsburg, is inexplicable. Katoto is the current starting striker for France, and would be a much greater threat to the Arsenal defence.
A reminder of how that first leg went:
As Alessia Russo prepares for another Champions League semi-final, there’s a trophy named after her that’s up for grabs.
Here’s Tom Garry’s preview.
Michele 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.
Arsenal are unchanged from the first leg. If it ain’t broke … Lyon make two tweaks, with Melchie Dumornay and Selma Bacha starting.
The teams
OL Lyonnes: Endler, Lawrence, Renard, Engen, Bacha, Heaps, Dumornay, Yohannes, Diani, Hegerberg, Brand
Subs: Belhadj, Marchal, Becho, Shrader, Katoto, Egurrola, Sombath, Svava, Tarciane, Rafalski, Ouazar, Olivier
Arsenal: Van Domselaar, Fox, Williamson, Wubben-Moy, McCabe, Russo, Little, Mariona, Foord, Blackstenius, Smith
Subs: Votikova, Borbe, Laia Codina, Maanum, Kelly, Pelova, Hinds, Holmberg, Dixon
Preamble
Wait a second … I’ve seen this one before. It finished 2-1 at the Emirates in the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final with Lyon last year, too. That time round it was the French side who had the one-goal cushion heading into the second leg, but Renée Slegers’ team triumphed 4-1 at the Groupama Stadium before making history in Lisbon.
What now for the defending champions? They have the advantage this time after Olivia Smith’s winner last weekend, and a 7-0 midweek victory against Leicester added to the joy. But Lyonnes carry continental prestige, eight Champions League trophies in the cabinet, with Melchie Dumornay expected to return after missing out in the first leg. She’s already delivered against Arsenal this season. We get going at 2pm BST.
