- Arsenal have scored 13 goals across their last three March matches in all competitions
- Lyon are the most successful club in the history of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, with eight titles to their name
- This is another meeting between these sides in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and they have produced high-scoring, decisive results in their last three meetings
Two champions looking for a return to Oslo
Arsenal and Lyon renew their UEFA Women’s Champions League rivalry with the first leg of their semi-final taking place on Sunday as two of the most dominant sides in women’s football look to return to the European Finals.
The winner of this tie will be competing for the 2025-2026 UEFA Women’s Champions League in Oslo, where Arsenal are the current holders after beating Lyon in the 2024-2025 edition in a pulsating semi-final that saw the Gunners win 4-1 in Lyon.
Two clubs with such contrasting styles and similar goals make for an interesting tactical matchup, which could go either way.
Gunners and Lyon are locked in a good scoring run
Renée Slegers has done a fantastic job maintaining the high-pressing, possession-based style that Arsenal have enjoyed in her tenure. They are top-three in the WSL, having taken 38 points from 17 games, but have been in mixed form in April, losing to Chelsea in the second leg of their quarter-final in the UWCL and falling to an FA Cup upset. They have, however, continued to be potent in the attack, scoring 13 goals across their last three matches in March, including a 5-2 derby demolition of Tottenham.
Lyon, however, have been a dominant force domestically, remaining unbeaten in the D1 Féminine with 17 wins and two draws from their 19 games. Their 4-0 thrashing of Wolfsburg in the UWCL quarter-final, having trailed 1-0 from the first-leg, was a vintage performance and showed both the depth and resolve that this squad possess.
Star power in the attacking zones
Alessia Russo is the talisman for Arsenal, leading the UWCL scoring charts and netting a hat-trick against Tottenham, while Stina Blackstenius offers an aerial threat that can hurt any team in the game. Beth Mead and Olivia Smith provide the vision and width for the Gunners’ attack to be at its most lethal.
The hosts’ match-up on Sunday should be an exciting fixture, with Lyon having the pace and creativity to hurt Arsenal, particularly in transition, through Melchie Dumornay, who leads the club’s scoring charts in this season’s competition.
It is an interesting clash that, with no major injuries reported, will feature their strongest line-ups ready to take on this high-stakes affair. Lyon have a slight edge in the odds at 2.44, with Arsenal not far behind at 2.53, but the odds reflect the fact that this will be a very close game.
Expect fireworks in the semi-final first-leg
The ‘Both teams to score - Yes’ market is incredibly short at 1.44, but I think it’s worth a small play on the two in-form sides, who know each other’s game-plan so well and are each capable of scoring goals. Arsenal have a huge home crowd and the recent experience of knocking Lyon out of this competition, while Lyon have shown they can bounce back from first-leg setbacks, as they proved against Wolfsburg.
The match has rarely disappointed and I think these two will provide plenty of entertainment on their way to Oslo.
