Olympique Lyonnais will join Barcelona in the 2023/24 UEFA Women’s Champions League final next month, after Sonia Bompastor’s side prevailed across two legs against Paris Saint-Germain.
Lyon, the most successful side in the tournament’s history, held the advantage after a spirited comeback in the first leg last weekend. They added to that lead just three minutes into Sunday’s clash, though the Parisian hosts were afforded a lifeline when Tabitha Chawinga picked out the bottom corner before the break.
A late strike from Lyon’s Melchie Dumornay restored the visitors’ two-goal lifeline within the final ten minutes, with l’OL seizing the bragging rights on this occasion in a mammoth all-French clash.
As it happened
Olympique Lyonnais had, in truth, looked to be dead and buried for much of their first-leg clash last Saturday. But just as was the case with Barcelona against Chelsea, Lyon are one of those teams you simply cannot write off.
Heading into this second leg in the French capital with a narrow lead after netting three goals in the last ten minutes to stun PSG last time out, Selma Bacha wasted no time in adding to Lyon’s aggregate advantage when her low drive from the edge of the box rippled the net after just three minutes.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt served as a statement, a fierce reminder of what this Lyon side are truly capable of when they’re on form. Paris Saint-Germain weren’t to bow down and let the eight-time champions run away with proceedings though, and at the end of an end-to-end first half, they drew level through Tabitha Chawinga.
Her 28th goal of the season across all competitions was taken expertly, with her fierce finish taking advantage of the retreating Lyon defensive line.
Lyon fought back well in the second half, with Constance Picaud proving to be the busier of the two goalkeepers as she responded to efforts from Dumornay alongside Lindsey Horan and Amel Majri.
It would be Dumornay inside the final ten minutes to extend the visitors’ aggregate lead to 5-3, and with Paris Saint-Germain unable to mount a comeback reminiscent of Lyon’s a week ago, the eight-time champions confirmed their progression to the final in Bilbao.
The lineups
PSG: Picaud; de Almeida, Gaetino, Samoura, Karchaoui, Geyoro, Groenen, Baltimore, Le Guilly; Chawinga, Katoto
OL: Endler; Bacha, Renard, Gilles, Carpenter; van de Donk, Egurrola, Horan; Cascarino, Dumornay, Diani
