Dumornay strikes late to silence Emirates Stadium
Olympique Lyonnais seized a slim advantage in the Women’s Champions League semifinals on April 19, 2025, edging Arsenal 2-1 in the first leg at a packed Emirates Stadium in London.
Before a crowd of 40,000 spectators, Haitian forward Melchie Dumornay broke a late deadlock in the 82nd minute. Her unassisted individual breakthrough through the English defense restored Lyon’s lead just four minutes after Arsenal had drawn level, leaving the French side ahead ahead of the return fixture.
Early mistakes cost Arsenal before halftime
Lyon had capitalized on an early opening in the 17th minute. Kadidiatou Diani scored after Ellie Carpenter assisted on a play triggered by a misjudgment from Arsenal defender Emily Fox.
The visitors held that advantage through the interval. Earlier, Danielle Van de Donk had missed an opportunity in the 6th minute, while Dumornay rattled the crossbar with a long-range effort in the 33rd minute.
Caldentey penalty sparks fierce second-half pressure
Arsenal mounted heavy pressure after the break. Their persistence paid off in the 78th minute when Mariona Caldentey converted a penalty kick following a video assistant referee review. The penalty came after Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler collided with Leah Williamson during a corner kick.
Caldentey, a triple European champion formerly with Barcelona, executed a clean contre-pied to level the score at 1-1.
Endler heroics preserve slender French advantage
Despite conceding twice, Arsenal created numerous scoring chances. Frida Maanum and Beth Mead both missed headers in the second half.
Endler made several crucial interventions to keep Lyon ahead. She made a brave 52nd-minute save at the feet of Caitlin Foord and secured a final header clearance in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Renard return eyed for the Lyon return leg
Reflecting on the encounter, Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers stated that her team believes they can still achieve a result in the return fixture. Lyon coach Joe Montemurro similarly warned that the tie remains open, describing the 2-1 scoreline as a dangerous scenario against a strong opponent.
Lyon, the 2022 European champions and 2024 runners-up, hope to have club captain Wendie Renard available for the second leg. Renard missed the London fixture due to a muscular issue, with Montemurro noting after the match that playing her at the Emirates would have carried too much risk.
The two sides will meet again for the semifinal second leg on April 27, 2025, in Lyon, where a spot in the Champions League final will be decided.
