Preview: Arsenal Women v Lyon

It’s crunch time in the UEFA Women’s Champions League as we host Lyon for the first leg of the semi-finals on Saturday.

The match kicks off at 12.30pm GMT at Arsenal Stadium, and you can join us in N5 by getting your tickets!

We’re looking for a positive result to take into the second leg in France on Sunday, April 27.

Lyon the league leaders

Joe Montemurro, who was our manager before Jonas Eidevall, has led to Lyon to a fantastic season in the Premiere Ligue so far. They’re top of the table with 56 points from 20 matches, having won 18, drawn two and lost none of them. Melchie Dumornay is the top scorer with 16 league goals (18 in all competitions).

Lyon are eight points ahead of second-placed Paris Saint-Germain and have scored 88 goals in the league to PSG’s 54, conceding just seven in the process. With the title already secured, they now have just one game left against FC Nantes.

Interestingly, the two times Lyon have dropped points in the league this season were against the same team, with 0-0 and 2-2 draws against third-placed Paris FC.

In the Coupe de France, however, they were knocked out in the round of 32 following a 0-0 draw away to Stade de Reims, which Lyon lost 10-9 on penalties.

As for European football, Lyon topped group A of the Champions League group stage with six wins from six, going nine points clear of VfL Wolfsburg. In the knockout stages, Lyon beat Bayern Munich 6-1 on aggregate. They are this competition’s most successful club with eight Champions League titles and are looking for their first win since 2022.

What the managers say

Slegers: “I really feel like since I've come to the club that it's one club. I've naturally been in contact with the assistant coach on the men's side, because he's Dutch. But after we won against Madrid, I got messages from everyone across the club, including Mikel, and he said it was inspirational. If you look at what they now did against Madrid, I think it's so strong.

"I think they look like a team and I think that's why they won against Madrid with so much individual quality, so it's amazing to be part of this. There was just some media here at the club as well. Jurrien Timber is sitting there and he says, "Renée, good luck for tomorrow." So the guys also know what we are doing, and we know what they are doing, and we support each other, so it's great."

Montemurro: “Arsenal is a team with a lot of talent and quality. They've regained some stability. It'll be a great match between two teams that like to dominate, with the best players in the world on the pitch.

“We work every day to play matches like this. We have to maintain the high bar throughout the season. We always have that responsibility. This is an important stage of the competition, but the team delivers every day."

Team news

Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly are both available for the match, having trained with the team on Friday after recovering from ankle and foot injuries respectively.

Daphne van Domselaar did not train though, and is not expected to be part of the matchday squad, after she suffered an injury on international duty with the Netherlands.

As for Lyon, everyone is available, with a late decision being made on the availability of Wendie Renard.

Facts and stats

Alessia Russo is currently second among the top scorers in the Champions League with seven goals, just behind Twente’s Kayleigh van Dooren who has eight. No Englishwoman has netted more times in a single edition of the competition on record (since 2009/10), with Fran Kirby (2020/21 with Chelsea) and Danielle Carter (2013/14 with Arsenal) the only ones to match that tally.

Russo has also had the joint most shots on target (15) with Barcelona’s Claudia Pina.

Caitlin Foord and Mariona Caldentey are joint fifth in the top scorers list with Bayern’s Pernille Harder, all three players having scored five in Europe this season.

Only Barcelona (67%) have had more possession of the ball in the Champions League than us (58.8%) this season.

We are aiming to reach our second Champions League final after 2006/07, when we became, and remain, the only English side to win the competition.

We have scored the most open play goals via crosses in the Champions League this season (five) – we put in 47 crosses from open play against Real Madrid in the previous round, the most by a team in a knockout round since Barcelona against Brann in last season’s quarter-finals (also 47).

Match officials

Romanian referee Ionela Alina Peșu has been appointed to take charge of Saturday's fixture, having recently seen over Sweden's 3-2 win against Italy.

Her last Arsenal game was for our 9-1 win away to Zurich in 2022/23.

Referee: Ionela Alina Peșu
Assistants: Daniela Constantinescu and Staša Špur
Fourth official: Catarina Isabel Ferreira de Campos
VAR: Cătălin Sorin Popa
Assistant VAR: Judit Romano García

Live coverage

In the UK, the game will be available to watch live on TNT Sports and DAZN. For the rest of the world, see which broadcasters are showing the game in the article below.