Jule Brand shattered Arsenal's hopes with a late winner, sending OL Lyon into the Women's Champions League final after an absorbing semi-final second leg. Renée Slegers conceded Lyon were the better team as Brand's decisive strike ended Arsenal's defence of their European title.
The tie was level at 3-3 on aggregate after Alessia Russo's goal for Arsenal, and the match seemed destined for extra time. However, Brand collected Melchie Dumornay's chipped through ball and tucked a neat finish into the far corner. The goal was initially disallowed for offside, but after a three-minute video assistant referee check, the goal was given, sparking joyous celebrations among the home supporters.
Lyon were deserved winners, largely thanks to inspired performances from Dumornay and Kadidiatou Diani. Slegers said: "Lyon raised their levels. They came out really strong. They had Selma Bacha and Melchie Dumornay back in the side, who are world-class players. They were really effective in certain moments. It was a very tight game, small margins – very disappointing for us."
With Dumornay seemingly everywhere and the youngster Lily Yohannes pulling the strings in midfield, Lyon caused Arsenal extensive problems, especially in the first half. Diani's pace on the right wing was a constant threat. The eight-time European champions thought they had found an early goal when Lindsey Heaps rose highest and headed in from the back post at a deep corner, but VAR, after a lengthy delay, ruled Ingrid Engen had been in an offside position in front of the Arsenal goalkeeper, Daphne van Domselaar.
It did not take long for them to open the scoring, though, after another anxious wait for a long VAR check. Lotte Wubben-Moy was penalised for a foul in the area on Dumornay, who was simply too quick for Wubben-Moy and Emily Fox as she squeezed between them. Wendie Renard's penalty was saved by Van Domselaar, but the officials ordered a retake after the goalkeeper stepped off her line too early. Renard, a veteran of eight Lyon Champions League victories, made no mistake at the second attempt, sending Van Domselaar the wrong way.
Arsenal continued to look vulnerable from Brand's set pieces, and she picked out Diani at the back post to make it 2-0, with the home fans bouncing to the beat of a drum in the stands as their hopes grew of a trip to the final in Oslo on 23 May.
Arsenal had rarely tested Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler, but they did go close twice just before the hour mark. Stina Blackstenius – scorer of their winning goal in last season's final – saw her great strike hit the woodwork before the offside flag was raised. Olivia Smith's scrappy effort then hit the base of the post.
The game took a twist as another Arsenal substitute, Smilla Holmberg, sent over a terrific cross that a determined Russo did well to divert into the far corner by darting in between two defenders. It was her ninth Champions League goal, making her the outright leading goalscorer this season.
Dumornay's dipping shot dropped narrowly wide as the home side searched for a winner, before she turned provider for Brand and booked a meeting with either Barcelona or Bayern Munich in Norway.
"Losing the first leg was tough, but the important thing was to bounce back. We played great football and we deserved the win," said the delighted Lyon coach Jonatan Giráldez, who led Barcelona from 2021-24.
Slegers said: "They were the better team. It's disappointment at the moment because we were so close and we all believed we could do it, even though we went through hard times today. The players are so humble and work so hard. I wish for them all to go to a final, but unfortunately this is football."
