Olympique Lyon bounced back from a shock first leg defeat to beat Juventus 3-1 at home and 4-3 on aggregate on Thursday night and progress to the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League where their French rivals Paris Saint-Germain await.
A resilient Juventus managed to hold off the hosts until the 33rd minute when Ada Hegerberg, all-time top scorer in the competition, broke the deadlock with a header. Two minutes later another header from Melvine Malard doubled Lyon’s lead..
The first 25 minutes of the second half was largely spent in the defensive third of Juventus as Lyon mounted immense pressure on their visitors and eventually got a stunning third goal from Catarina Macario.
With six minutes of regulation time left, Andrea Staskova pulled one back for the Italian champions after heading in a corner kick. But all efforts to at least draw level on aggregate and force extra time proved futile as the hosts looked more likely to score.
The result brought the visitors’ fairytale run to a halt and extinguished their lofty hopes of playing a home final in Turin. They can however take consolation in the fact that they marked their maiden quarter-final appearance with a historic first leg win over the record winners in Turin.
Seven-time champions Lyon, two-time champions Wolfsburg, reigning champions Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are the last four standing in the 2021-2022 Champions League. The semi-final ties will be played on 23 and 30 April.
WOLFSBURG
At the VfL Wolfsburg Arena, Wolfsburg saw off Arsenal 2-0 in their quarter-final second leg and 3-1 on aggregate to set up a mouth-watering clash with Barcelona in the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Following a 1-1 first leg draw in London, where they had led until the 89th minute, Wolfsburg turned up the heat at home on Thursday night and dominated proceedings. They were rewarded with the opening goal in the ninth minute through former Arsenal player Jill Roord. The visiting Gunners could only manage one shot in the first half.
Arsenal grew desperate in the second half in their bid for an equaliser but instead defender Leah Williamson scored an own-goal in the 72nd minute to give the hosts a two-goal lead, one they couldn’t overturn.
And Wolfsburg, playing at the VfL Wolfsburg Arena for the first time in nearly eight years, were able to avoid getting knocked out in the quarter-finals by a team from London for a second season in a row.
BARCELONA
In front of an incredibly enthusiastic women’s football attendance record crowd of 91,553 at Camp Nou, Barcelona came from behind to beat rivals Real Madrid 5-2 in Wednesday’s El Clasico and advance to the Champions League semi-finals with an 8-3 aggregate win.
Expectations of a historic night were already high in the build-up to the match after it was announced in January that tickets were sold out within three days, and the fans did not disappoint. They turned up, filled Europe’s largest stadium, created an electric atmosphere and made history while enjoying a goal-filled encounter. There was a powerful mosaic in the stands that read: “More than empowerment”.
“I’m speechless. It’s a dream come true. I can only answer with more work, getting better and winning games so we can give them a big spectacle,” said Putellas. “I saw a lot of girls, children with that spark in their eyes. It’s amazing to be part of history.”
Jonatan Giráldez, Barcelona coach: “What a great day this has been! We’ll remember it all our lives. The match was magical. We pressed so well without the ball. It’s complicated, though, to explain all the emotions you feel on a night like this.”
The figure recorded in Camp Nou on Wednesday night broke the 23-year-old official world record of 90,185 set during the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup final played at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. Only two matches at the unofficial 1971 Women’s World Cup have drawn more spectators – 100,000 for the opening match and 110,000 for the final. That tournament was organised outside of the world governing body’s (FIFA) jurisdiction by the Federation of Independent European Female Football (FIEFF).
It was the first time Barcelona Women played a match at the Camp Nou in front of fans and their second time overall – their first time was behind closed doors due to COVID-19 restrictions. The team usually play at the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium.
Barcelona, who won the quarter-final first leg 3-1 in Madrid, took the lead eight minutes into the first half with a brilliant curling shot from long range by Mapi Leon but Real fought back to lead 2-1 with goals from Olga Carmona and Claudia Zornoza.
After coming from a goal down to win the quarter-final first leg 3-1 in Madrid, Barcelona opened the scoring on eight minutes at home through Mapi Leon’s brilliant shot but Real scored the next two goals to take a shock lead, with Olga Carmona and Claudia Zornoza scoring in each half. However, Barcelona recovered quickly with three goals in 10 minutes from Aitana Bonmati, Claudia Pina and Alexia Putellas before Caroline Hansen rounded off the scoring.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
An extra-time goal from Ramona Bachmann on Wednesday night saw Paris Saint-Germain advance to the last four of the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the third season in a row after 4-3 aggregate victory over Bayern Munich. The first leg in Germany ended 2-1 in favour of PSG.
Sandy Baltimore got the opener for the hosts in front of 27,262 fans – a record home attendance for a PSG women’s game and the fifth best in UEFA Women’s Champions League history – at the Parc des Princes, but a depleted Bayern side, which only named four substitutes because of Covid absentees and suspensions, equalized through Saki Kumagai before Klara Buhl put them ahead.
A 3-3 aggregate score at the end of regulation time sent the game into extra time where substitute Bachmann kept her composure to draw level in the 112th minute to seal an aggregate victory for her side.
Ramona Bachmann said: “It was a tough game. We didn’t start very well – not the way we expected. In the second half, we came back and played better. It was a fantastic fight from the whole team. It was a great effort and I think we deserved to win in the end.”
Credit: AIPS
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