Arsenal Women came from behind to defeat Olympique Lyonnais Féminin 2-1 on Sunday in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final at the Emirates Stadium.
The French champions struck first in the 18th minute through Jule Brand, who finished confidently after a swift attacking move, giving Lyon an early lead with their only shot on target in the first half.
Arsenal responded after the break and levelled in the 58th minute when Mariona Caldentey’s low free-kick caused confusion in the Lyon defence, leading to an own goal from Ingrid Engen following a goalkeeping error by Christiane Endler.
The turnaround was completed in the 83rd minute when Olivia Smith capitalised on another defensive mix-up between Endler and Engen, slotting into an empty net to give the Gunners a crucial advantage.
The match featured additional drama, including a VAR-overturned penalty decision for Arsenal early in the second half and a near equaliser for Lyon when Kadidiatou Diani struck the crossbar.
Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers said her side are “only halfway there” despite a strong performance, while Lyon forward Ada Hegerberg described the defensive mistakes as “brutal” but insisted the team remains focused ahead of the second leg.
The return fixture will take place in Lyon next weekend, with a place in the final still finely balanced.
In the other semi-final, FC Barcelona Femení and Bayern Munich Women played out a 1-1 draw on Saturday.
