Evening Standard
·27 de abril de 2025
Women's Champions League: Arsenal stun Lyon as thrashing sets up blockbuster final against Barcelona

Evening Standard
·27 de abril de 2025
Gunners overcome first-leg deficit with stunning display in France
All smiles: Arsenal ran riot to stun Lyon and reach the Champions League final
REUTERS
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Arsenal will take on holders Barcelona in the Women's Champions League final after a superb 4-1 victory at Lyon saw them triumph 5-3 over the eight-time winners on aggregate.
The Gunners had made it into the last four by recovering from a 2-0 defeat in their quarter-final first leg at Real Madrid to win the second 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
And Renee Slegers' side once again turned things around as they ruthlessly punished thoroughly out-of-sorts Lyon at Groupama Stadium, eight days on from the French team's 2-1 victory in north London.
Lyon, who reached the final last season, had not lost in any competition this season before this remarkable hammering.
The tie was level after five minutes via a fifth-minute Christiane Endler own goal, Mariona Caldentey put Arsenal in front with a stunning strike in first-half stoppage time, and they then made the most of Lyon sloppiness after the break as Alessia Russo and Caitlin Foord added finishes.
Substitute Melchie Dumornay pulled a goal back for the hosts in the 81st minute but Lyon were unable to save themselves on an utterly miserable occasion for their boss Joe Montemurro against his former employers.
Through to the final for a second time, 18 years on from winning the competition when it was known as the UEFA Women's Cup, Arsenal will face in Lisbon next month a Barcelona outfit who completed an 8-2 aggregate thrashing of Chelsea earlier on Sunday.
"It means a lot to this incredible football club,” Arsenal captain Kim Little said.
“I'm excited and looking forward to representing this club in the final.
"We have belief in this group and we are very good at executing our game plans. We did it fairly well in the first leg but not well enough - today we executed it very well and thoroughly deserved to win.