04/26/26 12:19:00
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04/26 12:18 CDT Arsenal capitalizes on Lyon blunders to win 2-1 in Women's
Champions League semifinals
Arsenal capitalizes on Lyon blunders to win 2-1 in Women's Champions League
semifinals
LONDON (AP) --- Arsenal benefited from two defensive blunders to rally for a
2-1 win over Lyon in the first leg of the Women's Champions League semifinals
on Sunday, keeping the English club on course to defend its title.
Trailing to Jule Brand's 19th-minute goal for record eight-time champion Lyon,
Arsenal was gifted an equalizer in the 59th when Mariona Caldentey's low free
kick into the area was fumbled backward by goalkeeper Christiane Endler and
onto the post. Lyon center back Ingrid Engen, stretching to make the clearance,
inadvertently turned the ball into her own net.
Engen compounded that mistake by misreading a back-pass from teammate Lindsey
Heaps in the 83rd minute. Olivia Smith got to the ball ahead of Engen, had a
shot saved by Endler, and recovered to convert the rebound.
The return match is in Lyon on Saturday.
In the other semifinal, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are locked at 1-1 after the
first leg in Germany.
The final will be in Oslo on May 23.
Arsenal is seeking to beat Lyon in the semifinal stage for a second straight
year. Last season, Lyon won the first leg at Emirates Stadium but was thrashed
4-1 in the second match en route to Arsenal winning the title for the second
time.
This time, Arsenal holds the advantage at halfway.
"Lyon are giants of European football and have a great crowd like we do,"
Arsenal captain Leah Williamson said. "So an intensity that matches that
occasion will be key. We have to be really clinical, defensively secure and
we'll see."
A tight first half was illuminated by the solo goal from Brand, who ran through
the heart of Arsenal's defense down the inside-left channel and cut into the
area before shooting low inside the post.
In between Arsenal's goals, Lyon forward Kadidiatou Diani crashed a shot off
the crossbar.
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