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Lyon defeat Frankfurt to retain women's crown

Olympique Lyonnais 2-0 1. FFC Frankfurt
A Eugénie Le Sommer penalty and a majestic volley from Camille Abily enabled Lyon to retain their crown in front of a record 50,212 crowd.

Lyon defeat Frankfurt to retain women's crown
Lyon defeat Frankfurt to retain women's crown ©UEFA.com

Olympique Lyonnais underlined their status as the pre-eminent force in European club football by defeating 1. FFC Frankfurt at the Olympiastadion in Munich to retain their UEFA Women's Champions League crown.

A Eugénie Le Sommer penalty and a majestic volleyed lob from Camille Abily set Lyon on their way to glory, and both players on their way to a competition-leading nine goals. The majority of the European club record 50,212 crowd willed on Frankfurt, who were left to rue Melanie Behringer failing to take their clearest chance as half-time neared.

Frankfurt had applied the early pressure, no doubt keen to put Saturday's German Women's Cup final defeat by FC Bayern München behind them, and won a succession of corners down Behringer's flank. From the second, an inswinger, Lyon captain Sonia Bompastor sliced a clearance against the outside of her own post.

Lyon were also in weekend cup final action, defeating Montpellier Hérault SC 2-1. Élodie Thomis and Lara Dickenmann made way tonight, with Louisa Necib and Le Sommer recalled. The latter had a glimpse of goal in the ninth minute, reacting first to a loose ball, only for Gina Lewandowski to block her shot with a superb last-ditch tackle.

Lyon's opening goal was a product of Shirley Cruz Traña's persistence down the left. After shooting weakly initially, the Costa Rican first dispossessed Behringer and then wriggled free of the winger who brought her down near the byline. Le Sommer did the rest, placing the spot-kick to the left of Desirée Schumann's outstretched arm.

Only the brilliance of Schumann prevented Lyon from doubling their advantage in the 25th minute as she somehow flicked Wendie Renard's back-header from Bompastor's flighted free-kick against the post.

Instead the second was scored by Abily, and in some style. Having been forced to charge out of her box to clear with her head as Schelin chased down a long pass, Schumann could only turn and watch the midfield player's first-time volley sail over into her head and into the net.

Lyon's work could have been done before the break had Cruz Traña not scuffed a volleyed chance from close range. Having been a whisker away from making it 3-0, Lyon's lead was almost halved in the last move of the half, Behringer poking straight at Sarah Bouhaddi when in on goal.

It was the closest the three-time winners would come, as Lyon dominated possession and the chance count. Admittedly most of them were of the half variety – Schelin had three and Le Sommer volleyed wide while Abily smashed a free-kick against the bar – and Bouhaddi was equal to everything which came her way at the other end.

It was a second successive final victory against a German club for Lyon, having accounted for 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam in London last year. They will hope to complete a hat-trick of victories when the showpiece returns to the English capital in 2013, although Frankfurt are unlikely to be at the party as they sit fourth in the Frauen Bundesliga.