Lyon finish off PSG to set up Women’s Champions League final with Barcelona

Lyon reached their 11th Women’s Champions League final and will hope to win a ninth European Cup in Bilbao after holding off Paris Saint-Germain by winning 2-1 at the Parc des Princes to complete a 5-3 aggregate win over their fellow French team. Melchie Dumournay’s late goal confirmed progress to the Basque capital after PSG had been held at arm’s length for most of the second leg.

After defending champions Barcelona broke Chelsea hearts in Emma Hayes’ final season, the club coached by Sonia Bompastor, widely linked with the vacant Chelsea vacancy, held off PSG with a combination of sharp finishing and steady defending.

After overturning a 2-0 deficit in the first leg to win 3-2, Lyon took an even fuller control of the semi-final with Selma Bacha scoring after three minutes, the full-back catching PSG keeper Constance Picaud unawares and drilling a low shot into the bottom right corner.

The home team pushed hard in the first half, with Sakina Karchaoui and Tabita Chawinga creating problems down Lyon’s left flank. It was from that territory that PSG’s equaliser came, when Dumournay lost the ball in midfield and Chawinga drove forward, picked up the ball outside the box and lashed a left-footed effort across the goal and in at the far post.

If PSG smelled the chance for a first ever win over their French rivals, who they trail in the domestic table, it was Lyon who dominated the chances in the second half, with Picaud kept busy and Lindsey Horan, the American, twice hitting the side-netting. Lyon meanwhile, with Bacha outstanding alongside Wendy Renard, a veteran of all 11 Champions League wins, in their defence.

The tie was killed off by Dumornay finally slotting home the match-winner in the 81st minute, a goal assisted by sub Vicki Becho’s neat pass after the scorer had set up the attack with an interception in midfield. That set up a repeat of the 2019 and 2022 finals, both of which saw Lyon beat Barcelona.