Arsenal Women will try to overturn a first-leg deficit when they travel to France for Sunday's Women's Champions League semi-final clash against Lyon Women.
The French side recorded a 2-1 victory in last Saturday's clash at the Emirates Stadium, putting them in a strong position to face either Barcelona or Chelsea in the final.
Match preview
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Having progressed from their last 11 UWCL semi-finals, Lyon are in a strong position to take that tally to 12 after they enjoyed a successful trip to the Emirates Stadium last weekend.
Kadidiatou Diani saw her opener cancelled out by Arsenal's Mariona Caldentey, before Melchie Dumornay netted an 82nd-minute winner to give Lyon a slender lead ahead of the return leg at the Groupama Stadium.
A much-changed Lyon side enjoyed more success in Wednesday's Premiere Ligue clash against Nantes, as Sara Dabritz and Leila Wandeler grabbed a goal apiece to clinch a 2-0 victory, ensuring that the French giants are yet to lose a competitive game in regulation time this season.
They will now turn their focus back to UWCL action, with the record European champions aware that they are just two games away from winning the competition for the ninth time in their history.
Lyon will certainly fancy their chances of claiming a positive result in the second leg, having won 13 and drawn one of their 14 home games this season, while scoring at least four goals in nine of those matches.
In fact, the French side have not lost a competitive home fixture in regulation time since they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the 2022-23 UWCL semi-final first leg.
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The Women's Champions League represents the last viable route for Arsenal to win a trophy this season, considering the fact that they are six points adrift of leaders Chelsea in the Women's Super League with just three matches left to play.
However, their hopes of winning their first European trophy since 2007 were dented by last Saturday's 2-1 defeat in the first leg against Lyon.
Caldentey's penalty ultimately proved fruitless as the Gunners fell to their first European home defeat of the season.
Arsenal are now at risk of experiencing a similar fate, having failed to progress from six of their previous seven UWCL semi-finals, including each of their last four.
Their hopes of staging a turnaround in France may be tempered by the fact that they have experienced mixed results on their travels in European competitions this season, with their five UWCL away games producing two victories and three defeats.
The Gunners do at least have fond memories from their most recent away game against Lyon in the 2021-22 group stage, which saw them cruise to a dominant 5-1 victory thanks to braces from Beth Mead and Caitlin Foord as well as a Frida Maanum effort.
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Team News
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Lyon will have to assess the fitness of experienced defender Wendie Renard, who has not played since starting the 4-0 victory against Fleury 91 at the end of March.
If passed fit to start, Renard would likely replace Alice Sombath to form a central defensive partnership with Vanessa Gilles.
Having scored 11 European goals between them, Dumornay and Diani will continue to offer two of Lyon's main attacking threats when they line up in a front three with Tabitha Chawinga.
As for the visitors, they are expected to be without the services of defender Laia Codina and forward Lina Hurtig.
First-choice goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar is set to feature between the posts after recovering from an ankle injury that has kept her out of the last two matches.
Defender Lotte Wubben-Moy, who recently signed a new three-year deal, should be fit to feature in a matchday squad for the first time since February 9.
Lyon Women possible starting lineup:
Endler; Carpenter, Gilles, Renard, Bacha; Heaps, Egurrola, Van de Donk; Diani, Chawinga, Dumornay
Arsenal Women possible starting lineup:
Zinsberger; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Maanum, Caldentey; Mead, Foord, Russo
We say: Lyon Women 3-1 Arsenal Women
Arsenal will head to France with aspirations of turning the tie in their favour, but we think that their dreams will be crushed by a Lyon side that have won all nine of their European matches this season, which is why we believe that they will record another victory in Sunday's second leg.
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