Katie McCabe helps inspire incredible Arsenal comeback to reach Champions League final

The 42

ARSENAL WILL TAKE on holders Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League final after a superb 4-1 victory at Lyon saw them triumph 5-3 over the eight-time winners on aggregate.

The Gunners had made it into the last four by recovering from a 2-0 defeat in their quarter-final first leg at Real Madrid to win the second 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

And Renee Slegers’ side once again turned things around as they ruthlessly punished thoroughly out-of-sorts Lyon at Groupama Stadium, eight days on from the French team’s 2-1 victory in north London.

Advertisement

The tie was level after five minutes via a fifth-minute Christiane Endler own goal, Mariona Caldentey put Arsenal in front with a stunning strike in first-half stoppage time, and they then made the most of Lyon sloppiness after the break as Alessia Russo and Caitlin Foord added finishes.

Substitute Melchie Dumornay pulled a goal back for the hosts in the 81st minute but Lyon were unable to save themselves on an utterly miserable occasion for their boss Joe Montemurro against his former employers.

Through to the final for a second time, 18 years on from winning the competition when it was known as the UEFA Women’s Cup, Arsenal will face in Lisbon next month a Barcelona outfit who completed an 8-2 aggregate thrashing of Chelsea earlier on Sunday.

Written by Press Association and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.