Photo courtesy of UEFA Women’s Champions League
The UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals kicked off Saturday with a 2-1 win for Olympique Lyonnais over Arsenal at Emirates Stadium. On Sunday, Barcelona defeated Chelsea 4-1 at Estadi Johan Cruyff to set up a nearly un-winnable second leg. If Barcelona and OL win their respective semifinals on aggregate over two legs, the final will be a rematch of the 2023-24 European title decider. The Spanish side won that competition, 2-0.
The French powerhouse showed its pedigree on Saturday with a strong performance and clinical finishing. Arsenal actually led the game in many statistical categories, holding a 57% majority of possession. The team took nine corner kicks to OL’s three, completed and attempted more passes, and recorded13 goal-scoring chances to OL’s 11. However, only three of Arsenal’s attempts were on target, compared to five for the French side.
“It’s a stage of the competition when it’s all about results, and that’s the only way you’re going to get…
