Arsenal vs Lyon Women's Champions League: Defending Champions Host Eight-Time Winners in London

Arsenal Women and OL Lyonnes kicked off their UEFA Women's Champions League semifinal first leg at Meadow Park on Sunday April 26 in a rematch of last season's memorable two-legged encounter that the Gunners ultimately won on their way to claiming the European title in Oslo. The tie pits the defending champions against the most successful club in the competition's history in what the entire European women's football world has been anticipating since the draw was made.

Arsenal enter this first leg without captain Steph Catley through injury, with Leah Williamson filling in at centre-back. Katie Reid is also absent with a knee injury and both Kyra Cooney-Cross and Beth Mead are unavailable for personal reasons. The absences test the squad's depth at the most demanding moment of their season.

Lyon's Record and Threat

OL Lyonnes have won the Women's Champions League eight times. That number alone summarises the scale of the challenge Arsenal face. Lyon's squad contains international players of the very highest quality across every position, their tactical preparation is meticulous, and their record of five wins from five previous visits to London against Arsenal underlines how difficult it has historically been for the Gunners to beat the French side in front of their own supporters.

Lyon's only change from their extra-time quarter-final win over Wolfsburg sees Svava replace Bacha. They arrive in London as the best-resourced and most experienced club in European women's football, determined to reclaim the title that Arsenal took from them last season.

The Stakes and What a Final Appearance Means

The winner of this tie faces either Bayern Munich or Barcelona in the final at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo on May 23. For Arsenal, successfully defending their European title would be one of the greatest achievements in the club's women's football history. For Lyon, reclaiming the trophy would represent a return to the dominance that defined their era in European women's football. The second leg takes place at OL Stadium in France on May 2.