Lyon will find the European summits. The Lyonnaises validated their ticket for the final of the Champions League after their victory against PSG (2-1) at the Parc des Princes, Saturday April 30. Faced with a record crowd for a match between two women’s football clubs in France (43,254 spectators), Sonia Bompastor’s players dominated the Parisians, thanks to goals from Ada Hegerberg (14th) and Wendie Renard (83rd). In the final, the Lyonnaises will face defending champions Barcelona, qualified a little earlier in the evening despite their defeat at Wolfsburg (0-2).
.@OLFEMININ JOIN BARCELONA IN THE @UWCL FINAL pic.twitter.com/x64vftnQ4R
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) April 30, 2022
The Lyonnaises simply needed to preserve their advantage with a goal acquired in the first leg (3-2). They went for a victory in character on the lawn of the Parc des Princes. Technically superior, quickly in front of the score, OL animated almost the whole match and did not give up to ensure a success which suffers from no dispute.
She had not scored in the first leg, a rare enough fact to note it. Norwegian star Ada Hegerberg repaired this anomaly by opening the scoring for Lyonnaise with a well-placed header in the top corner, on a good cross from Selma Bacha, a real will-o’-the-wisp in her left lane.
She even thought to double the bet just before the hour mark (56th), in full Parisian time, but her setter Melvine Malard was reported in an offside position. It was finally from the captain and guard Wendie Renard that came the deliverance, with a header from an off-center free kick at the end of the match, to confirm the victory and open the road to the final.
Captain Wendie Renard comes in clutch for Lyon ✈️
https://t.co/8BrCbQycaR
https://t.co/sXW3IHSXpO pic.twitter.com/Bo3sRTnYVQ— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) April 30, 2022
Opposite, Paris had a lot of trouble getting into the game. Stunned by Lyon’s opener, Didier Ollé-Nicolle’s players were not exciting enough during the first period. The debates were somewhat balanced after the break, and they managed to capitalize on a strong moment to come back to score thanks to an opportunistic strike from Marie-Antoinette Katoto (62nd). Before cracking again in the final minutes, and letting their dream of a third star-studded final slip away.
After falling to the Parisiennes in the quarter-finals of the competition last year, the Lyonnaises took their revenge and advanced to Turin, where the final will take place on May 21. They will find Barcelona there, in a remake of the final of the 2019 edition. OL then outclassed the Spaniards (4-1). A coup that they will no doubt want to repeat to win a record eighth European title.