Lyon vs Arsenal – News and Probable Lineups

Arsenal Women will travel to França with a slight advantage for the Women’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Lyon Women, scheduled for Saturday.

The current European champions managed to overturn a deficit to take a 2-1 lead in the first leg played on Sunday.

Match overview

Lyon, the record holders of the competition, need to put in extra effort to keep their dreams of securing their first UWCL title since the 2021-22 season alive.

The French team risks being knocked out by Arsenal in the semi-finals for the second consecutive year after they couldn’t hold onto their lead in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium.

Jule Brand opened the scoring for Lyon within the first 20 minutes, but a goal from Christiane Endler and an effort from Olivia Smith saw Jonatan Giraldez’s team suffer an away defeat once more in Europe.

Lyon will look to repeat their quarter-final performance against Wolfsburg, where they came back from a one-goal deficit in the first leg to win 4-0 in extra time during the return match in França.

They will definitely be eager to return to their home ground after a 1-1 draw in their recent away league match against Nantes, which marks the fourth time in their last five competitive away fixtures that they have failed to secure a win.

In contrast, Lyon has triumphed in all 17 of their home matches this season, managing to keep clean sheets in each of their last 11 victories.

Arsenal finds themselves just two matches away from defending their European title, but head coach Renee Slegers understands that there is still much work to do for her team to secure a spot in the final in Oslo.

The Gunners will head to França feeling optimistic following their historic home victory over Lyon and a resounding 7-0 triumph against Leicester City in Wednesday’s Women’s Super League encounter.

Stina Blackstenius and Smilla Holmberg each scored twice in the lopsided match, propelling Arsenal into third place and narrowing the gap to leaders Manchester City by eight points, with two games in hand.

While Arsenal is still mathematically in pursuit of their first WSL title since 2016, the UWCL appears to be their most viable opportunity for silverware this season, especially with Manchester City on the brink of clinching the championship with wins in their final two fixtures.

The signs seem to favor Arsenal ahead of their trip to the Groupama Stadium, especially since they have won 18 of their last 19 European encounters when they’ve taken the lead in the first leg.

They can also find confidence in their recent success on Lyon’s turf, having won their last two away fixtures against them, including a notable 4-1 victory in last season’s semi-final second leg.

Team News

The hosts are still without forward Liana Joseph, who is in the midst of her recovery from a long-standing knee injury.

They are also concerned about the fitness of Selma Bacha and Melchie Dumornay, both of whom were on the bench at the Emirates Stadium but not considered fit enough to participate.

If neither is ready to start, Giraldez may opt for the same lineup that featured in the first leg in London.

On the other hand, Arsenal will be missing Katie Reid, Steph Catley, Kyra Cooney-Cross, and Manuela Zinsberger.

There are also uncertainties regarding the availability of the attacking trio: Chloe Kelly, Beth Mead, and Olivia Smith for Saturday’s second leg.

After rotating her squad midweek, Slegers is expected to reintroduce Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Mariona Caldentey, Caitlin Foord, and Alessia Russo.

Lyon Women probable starting XI:

Ends; Lawrence, Renard, Engen, Svava; Shrader, Heaps, Yohannes; Diani, Brand, Hegerberg

Arsenal Women probable starting XI:

Van Domselaar; Fox, Williamson, Wubben-Moy, McCabe; Little, Caldentey; Holmberg, Russo, Ford; Blackstenius

Arsenal has had success in their last two visits to Lyon, but they should expect a significantly tougher challenge this time against a team that boasts a perfect record at home.

We anticipate that the French giants will take full advantage of playing at home to turn the tie in their favor with a dominant performance.