The joy of the Lyonnaises qualified for the final of the Champions League, after beating PSG, on April 28, 2024 at the Parc des Princes (AFP / FRANCK FIFE)
The Lyonnaises, after overturning the semi-final first leg (3-2), qualified for their 11th Champions League final by beating PSG on Saturday (2-1) and will meet the Barcelona, defending champions, on May 25 in Bilbao.
OL’s experience has paid off again and will be crucial in the final: Lyon, which has won the trophy 8 times, has lost only twice in the final, winning the last eight it has played including that of 2022, already against Barca.
After a stunning first leg (3-2), the return match was a little less gripping at the Parc des Princes and in front of 30,000 people including thousands of Parisian ultras, the Parisiennes not succeeding in reversing the situation as OL were able to. did it last week.
The joy of the Lyonnaises, qualified for the final of the Champions League, after eliminating PSG, on April 28, 2024 at the Parc des Princes (AFP / FRANCK FIFE)
Between the two “best enemies”, the main thing was played out in the first period, dense and even sometimes tense, notably between the former Parisian Kadidiatou Diani, lightly whistled by the Park on her exit (73rd), and the captain of PSG Grace Geyoro.
Lonely, Selma Bacha dampened the hopes of Jocelyn Prêcheur’s players by opening the score at the start of the match (1-0, 3rd) with a small net shot from the left, deceiving her teammate in the French team Constance Picaud, who then made a series of decisive saves (53rd, 56th, 65th) to keep his team afloat.
– Cascarino out injured –
Paris was also saved by some defensive interventions from Eva Gaetino or Thiniba Samoura (14th), unlike the French international Elisa De Almeida, who missed her match, in the duel with Melchie Dumornay.
The Parisian start came as often from the talent of Tabitha Chawinga, perfectly launched by Marie-Antoinette Katoto, before adjusting Christiane Endler with a cross strike (41st), under the eyes of the “titi” Warren Zaire-Emery, of the president of the Nasser Al-Khelaïfi club and the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra.
Selma Bacha scores for Lyon against PSG, in the semi-final second leg of the Champions League, April 28, 2024 at the Parc des Princes (AFP / FRANCK FIFE)
The Parisiennes, who did not have the statistics on their side against OL, will not play a third final, even if they seemed convinced of being able to turn the situation around before the return match like their male counterparts against Barça.
In the C1 semi-final, OL have still not lost to PSG: in 2016, 2020 and 2022 and therefore 2024.
After playing a crazy last ten minutes last Saturday, scoring three goals, the Lyonnaises, decimated by injuries between Eugénie Le Sommer, Ada Hegerberg, Griedge Mbock and Delphine Cascarino, left injured at half-time on Sunday, controlled the game more Sunday.
They largely dominated the second half, while narrowly missing Constance Picaud’s goal. But once again it was experience that paid off.
Patient, they delivered the final blow to their rivals thanks to Melchie Dumornay (81st), scorer in both confrontations.