O Chelsea eliminated the Lyoncurrent European champions, by 4-3 on penalties (2-2 on aggregate), and will play one of the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League against Barcelona.
The London team played calmer after the 1-0 victory in France until the Norwegian star Ada Hegerberg, the first female Ballon d’Or (2018), entered the field, giving more offensive power to Lyon, who tied with a goal from the Canadian Vanessa Gilles and extended through the German Sara Däbritz in overtime.
However, with time running out, the referee of the match whistled, with the help of VAR, a penalty after Lauren James was brought down in the area and also Norwegian Maren Mjelde converted and reduced it to 2-1, sending the decision to penalties.
And in the maximum penalties, the German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger appeared to defend the charges of Wendy Renard and Lindsay Horan and thus guarantee the classification of the Londoners.
Chelsea dominated Lyon in the first half and only the good performance of the Chilean goalkeeper Christiane Endler prevented the English team from reaching the break in advantage, mainly with two great defenses in shots from the Australian Sam Kerr and Lauren James.
After the break, the arrival of Hegerberg, who is trying to regain his form after several weeks away due to injury, allowed Lyon to advance their lines on the field, although the London defense prevented any dangerous action from the French.
Until Horan recovered a ball on the right end and his cross was finished off the first post by Gilles to send the duel to extra time.
In extra time, Lyon continued to dominate and found the prize when Däbritz, who had also come off the bench, pounced on Hegerberg’s cross to send the ball into the back of the net.
When everything seemed decided, VAR came into action to define the last of the semifinalists on penalty kicks. And Chelsea were more efficient.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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