Arsenal don travel go France with 2-1 advantage for UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final second leg against Lyon. Di match dey happen for Groupama Stadium wey get 59,000 capacity, and 600 Arsenal fans don trek go support di team.
Renée Slegers don make five changes from di 7-0 win against Leicester City for WSL. Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Mariona Caldentey, Caitlin Foord, and Alessia Russo all come back into starting line-up. Chloe Kelly also return from injury to sit for bench.
Lyon side wey be eight-time champions, don adjust dia squad too. Melchie Dumornay and Selma Bacha start, while Marie-Antoinette Katoto dey for bench. Coach Jonatan Giraldez say di team must raise attacking level and show personality to reach final.
Arsenal striker Alessia Russo talk say: “We don earn di right to be here. We thrive for dis kind position. We see am last year and we want repeat am.” She be joint top scorer for competition with eight goals dis season.
Lyon defender Ingrid Engen talk say: “We don work on things wey we must improve. We know we must do better game. We dey at home, we go get plenty fans, and e fit be very good day.”
Di match dey live for BBC Two with build-up start for 13:30 BST. Winner go book ticket for di final for Oslo next month. Arsenal be reigning champions after dem defeat Lyon 4-1 for same stage last year for France.
Former Arsenal and England defender Anita Asante warn say Arsenal must avoid unforced errors for dia half. She say when dem dey build attack, dem get expansive shape wey Lyon fit exploit through Buhl and Svava.
Ellen White, former England striker, talk about first leg second half: “Arsenal come out of di blocks. Dem go into half-time and tell demselves ‘We be European champions, e be our trophy, let us remember we dey good for football.’ Dem get aggression and put Lyon on back foot.”
Arsenal don win dia last two UWCL away games against Lyon, 5-1 for 2022-23 group stage and 4-1 for last season semi-final second leg. Dem be di two biggest losses Lyon don suffer for competition.
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