The reigning UWCL winner couldn’t be silenced on Sunday, as Arsenal topped OL Lyonnes 2-1 to take the lead in the two-leg Champions League semifinals.
Forward Jule Brand opened the scoring for the French champions. Later, a clumsy defensive breakdown gifted the Gunners an own goal, before forward Olivia Smith scored the second-half game-winner at the Emirates.
“The first half was quite even. We gave away a cheap goal,” captain Leah Williamson said. “But what you saw second-half was a team on a mission, fueled by the crowd.”
Lyon isn’t the only side hunting a second-leg spark, as three-time UWCL winner Barcelona settled for Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich.
The German champions battled for a result after goal-scorer Franziska Kett was dealt a red card in the 79th minute. However, the Spanish side ultimately could not capitalize on Bayern’s loss.
“I think in general we defended our goal pretty well,” Bayern captain Glódís Viggósdóttir told UEFA.
“We followed the game plan, we closed the spaces that we wanted to close and then we wanted to get them on the counter, and obviously it’s a fantastic goal from start to finish. I’m just incredibly proud of how we handled every single situation today.”
“We’re heading back to Barcelona with a draw that feels like too little, given the chances we had,” said Barcelona manager Pere Romeu.
How to Watch Arsenal in the UWCL Champions League Semifinals
The UWCL semifinals finish up this weekend, as Arsenal visits OL Lyonnes on Saturday at 9 AM ET. Afterwards, Barcelona hosts Bayern on Sunday at 10:30 AM ET. Both matches air live on Paramount+.
The Champions League final kicks off on May 23rd in Oslo, Norway.
