Women's Champions League: Lyon vs Galatasaray facts

Eight-time UEFA Women's Champions League winners Lyon begin their 2024/25 campaign against Group A opponents Galatasaray at OL Stadium.

This will be the first ever meeting between the clubs.

Form guide

Lyon

This Matchday 1 meeting is the first time that Lyon have taken on Turkish opposition in UEFA competition.

The French outfit reached a record 11th final last season, losing 0-2 to Barcelona on 25 May in Bilbao. Their last success in the competition came when they defeated the same opponents 3-1 in the 2022 final in Turin.

In 2023/24, Lyon drew 2-2 against both Brann and Slavia Praha but won their other four group fixtures, topping a section that also contained St. Pölten.

OL were 9-0 winners at Slavia Praha on Matchday 1 last season – the ninth time they had won by that scoreline in the Women's Champions League and their joint-biggest away European victory.

In contrast, their 2022/23 campaign began with a 1-5 defeat at home to Arsenal; it was the first time they had conceded five goals at home in Europe.

In her first season at the club, Kadidiatou Diani topped the scoring charts in the Women's Champions League last season with eight goals – two more than team-mate Ada Hegerberg, the competition's all-time record scorer.

A Lyon side coached by Sonia Bompastor (now replaced by Joe Montemurro) won their 17th league title in 2023/24, losing just one game. Those 17 championship successes have come in the past 18 seasons, the exception in 2020/21 when they finished runners-up.

Galatasaray

Having progressed through the first and second round, Galatasaray have become the first Turkish side to reach the group stage. This is their first fixture against French opposition.

Metin Ülgen's side contested their first ever European fixture on 4 September, defeating hosts Racing Union 4-1 in the round 1 semi-finals in Luxembourg with goals from Ebru Topçu, Andrea Stašková, Arzu Karabulut and Catalina Usme.

That victory took them into the round 1 final, where they saw off the challenge of BIIK on 7 September, again in Luxembourg. Galatasaray's 5-0 victory included a hat-trick from Hapsatou Malado Diallo with Stašková and Pineda again on the scoresheet.

In round 2, Galatasaray were paired with Slavia Praha and came through 4-3 on aggregate. The first leg in Istanbul on 19 September ended 2-2 after the hosts conceded twice late in the second half to let a two-goal lead slip. In the Prague return six days later, Nazlican Parlak scored the decisive goal in extra time to snatch a 2-1 win and ensure Galatasaray's group stage debut.

Ülgen's side claimed Galatasaray's first ever Turkish Women's League title in 2023/24 as they finished two points clear of previous champions Ankara BB Fomget.

Topçu was Galatasaray's top league scorer last season with 15 goals.

Galatasaray won their first two league games in 2024/25, winning 11-0 at Çekmeköy BilgiDoğa Spor in their opener before a 2-1 defeat of Bornova Hitab Spor Kulübü.

Key facts

Lyon are the most successful team in Women's Champions League history with eight titles.

The French side have won 110 Women's Champions League matches, the most in the competition; Arsenal are second on the list with 66 wins.

Les Lyonnaises are unbeaten in 11 Women's Champions League group stage matches (W7 D4) and have lost only one of their previous nine group games at home (W6 D2), winning four of the last five.

Lyon's last European match was the 0-2 defeat by Barcelona in the 2024 final. They have never lost successive Women's Champions League games.

Galatasaray have won eight and drawn one of their last nine matches in all competitions.