Paris (AFP) – Ada Hegerberg was on target as record seven-time winners Lyon saw off French rivals Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday to set up a Women’s Champions League final showdown with holders Barcelona.
Hegerberg and captain Wendie Renard scored either side of a Marie-Antoinette Katoto strike for PSG as Lyon won 2-1 in the second leg of the all French semi-final to go through 5-3 on aggregate.
They will play Barcelona in the final in the Italian city of Turin on May 21 after the Spanish champions beat Wolfsburg 5-3 on aggregate in the other last-four tie despite losing 2-0 in the second leg in Germany earlier on Saturday.
The match at the Parc des Princes was watched by a new record crowd for a women’s club game in France of 43,254, a week after a world record 91,648 saw Barcelona win the first leg of their tie at home to Wolfsburg.
Lyon came into the return with the edge after winning 3-2 at home in last week’s first leg, when United States international Catarina Macario scored twice.
They silenced the home crowd by taking a 14th-minute lead thanks to 2018 Ballon d’Or winner Hegerberg, the Norwegian rising above Ashley Lawrence to head in Selma Bacha’s cross from the left wing.
Delphine Cascarino squandered a great chance to finish the tie when she tried to round Barbora Votikova rather than square for the unmarked Melvine Malard, and was thwarted by the PSG goalkeeper.
Votikova, who endured a nightmare first leg in which she was at fault for all three Lyon goals, then suffered what appeared to be a knee injury and did not reappear for the second half, with the German Charlotte Voll taking her place.
PSG turned up the pressure after the break as they sought a route back into the tie, but Lyon thought they had scored again when Hegerberg nodded in from close range in the 56th minute from a Malard knockdown.
However, the goal was disallowed for offside following a VAR review and instead PSG got themselves level on the night just past the hour mark as the prolific France striker Katoto turned in the loose ball after Sandy Baltimore’s effort had been saved.
Another PSG goal would have taken the tie to extra time, but instead Lyon went back in front on the night, and made sure of their place in the final, when towering centre-back Renard headed in a Bacha free-kick with seven minutes left.
Next month’s final will give Barcelona the chance to avenge their 4-1 defeat at the hands of Lyon in the 2019 showpiece in Budapest.
Barcelona are looking to defend the title they won for the first time last year when they crushed Chelsea 4-0 in the final in Gothenburg.
Lyon are through to their 10th Champions League final in 13 seasons and are also set to reclaim the French title from PSG, sitting five points clear of their rivals with three games of the season left.
