NOS Football•today, 6:06 PM
Lyon beats PSG and advances to the Champions League final
Olympique Lyonnais has reached the final of the Champions League at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain. The score was 1-2 in the Parc des Princes in Paris. Lyon had already won the first meeting between the two teams 3-2.
The team of Dutch internationals Daniëlle van de Donk and Damaris Egurrola will play in the final against FC Barcelona, which defeated Chelsea yesterday and reached the final of the Champions League for the fourth year in a row.
The decisive goal in Paris came from the foot of Melchie Dumornay in the 81st minute.
There were three Dutch internationals in the starting line-up today: Van de Donk and Egurrola at Lyon’s side and Jackie Groenen at PSG. Her teammate Lieke Martens was only allowed to come on in the 84th minute.
Quick goal
Thanks to a cleverly taken, short corner kick, the score was already in the third minute, thanks to a hard shot from Selma Bacha: 1-0. Van de Donk was booked just under ten minutes later, due to a sliding that had started just too late.
PSG then did a better job of creating danger, which paid off just before half time. Tabitha Chawinga fired a hard shot between the posts from an almost impossible angle in the 41st minute. Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler had no chance (1-1).
After the break, Lyon missed a great opportunity to decide the match prematurely. Van de Donk gave an excellent pass to Kadidiatou Diani who lashed out, but goalkeeper Constance Picaud got in the way and kept Paris Saint-Germain in the match.
Both Van de Donk and Egurrola showed themselves to be extremely important to Lyon. The Dutch pair formed the driving force in midfield and created danger for the Parisian goal several times.
Groenen, on the other hand, failed to stop the breaking Dumornay in midfield. Dumornay fell after Groenen’s sliding tackle, but managed to get back up with the ball and decide the match (1-2).
Football superpower PSG ends this Champions League as it started: with a defeat. In the very first group match, the Parisians surprisingly lost 2-0 to Ajax.
