Arsenal vs Lyon Women's Champions League preview: Where to watch, starting line-ups

Arsenal and Lyon meet in the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final first leg on Saturday 19 April at Arsenal Stadium.

What do you need to know?

As befits the two clubs that have played more games in UEFA competition than any other (Lyon on 150 and Arsenal on 122), there is a fair bit of history between them. That includes Lyon, in their first-ever European knockout game, knocking out holders Arsenal in the 2007/08 quarter-finals (Wendie Renard present and correct even then), OL's 2010/11 last-four success, and their 2022/23 group meetings, when Beth Mead's hat-trick on Matchday 1 helped the Gunners inflict their opponents' record home defeat of 5-1, though Lyon won the return 1-0.

The minds of both teams are not on the past, but on getting to Lisbon. Lyon have had an excellent first season so far under Joe Montemurro, a popular Arsenal manager between 2017 and 2021 (in which time he advised current Gunners boss Renée Slegers as part of UEFA coach mentor programme). Lyon's Daniëlle van de Donk is also a former Gunners favourite, while Mariona Caldentey arrived at Arsenal in the summer fresh from helping Barcelona beat Lyon in last season's final.

Mariona has been excellent in Arsenal's run which has included them twice overturning first-leg deficits, against Häcken in round 2 and Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, as well as bouncing back from losing 5-1 at Bayern on Matchday 1 to top the group. Renée Slegers took over as coach not long after the Bayern loss and has got the Gunners playing a confident, attacking brand of football, with quarter-final hero Alessia Russo in resurgent form and January loan arrival Chloe Kelly adding even more vim to their wing play. Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar was injured on international duty last week but Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly have recovered.

But there are few tougher challenges than Lyon, who are aiming for a 12th victory in their record 14 semi-finals (Arsenal have made just one final from seven past last-four ties). Kadidiatou Diani, Melchie Dumornay and Tabitha Chawinga showed their full prowess against Bayern in the last eight, with Ada Hegerberg coming off the bench to get her 66th European goal as a topper, and all through the squad they look to have stepped up even from the displays that took them to the final 12 months ago. Renard, whose next game will be her 500th for Lyon, has a foot injury and is on the bench.

Form guide

Arsenal
Last six games: WWWWLW
Last match: Arsenal 5-1 Leicester City, 15/04, Women's Super League
Where they stand: 2nd in Women's Super League

Lyon
Last six games: DWWWWW
Last match: Lyon 2-2 Paris FC, 12/04, Première Ligue
Where they stand: 1st in Première Ligue

Starting line-ups

Arsenal: Zinsberger; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Maanum, Mariona; Mead, Russo, Foord

Lyon: Endler; Carpenter, Gilles, Sombath, Bacha; Heaps, Egurrola, Van de Donk; Diani, Dumornay, Chawinga

View from the camps

Renée Slegers, Arsenal coach: "I think they are very strong opposition. Huge respect for them as a team and individual players and the coach, of course, as well, Joe Montemurro, so we know it’s going to be a very big challenge, but we look forward to it. We want to embrace the challenge.

"I’ve had the honour to have Joe Montemurro as a mentor as well in the UEFA mentorship programme. I think the biggest takeaways that I got from him is less is more, make it specific, and just the way he goes about it. He’s very determined and works really hard, but he also does things with a smile on his face, a little cheeky sometimes. And that’s the way he goes about it, it’s been inspirational."

Kim Little, Arsenal captain: "I’m motivated. I think it’s always great to be involved in a Champions League season. But to have reached another semi-final, we’re so motivated to get to the final. That one kind of extra step that we’ve not done since the club, obviously, reached the UEFA [Women's] Cup final and won it in 2007."

Joe Montemurro, Lyon coach: "[Arsenal] deserve to be at the top end of this great competition. Their supporter base and the way they’ve elevated women’s football not only in the UK, but I think also in Europe, has been quite special from that perspective. We expect it to be an amazing atmosphere, an atmosphere which will, obviously, be pro-Arsenal. And that’s where we will just have to focus on our football, not focus on the other bits and pieces. If Lyon shows up and have a football approach and focus on the moment on the pitch, I think we’ll put in a good show.

"I don’t know what [Slegers] will take from what I taught her. She might use it against me, I don’t know, but again, if they use some of the ideas that I like to put into football, then fantastic, but I don’t think there’s anything to hide from that perspective. I’m honoured to have been part of maybe one thing that could have contributed to her taking with her for the rest of her life, and contributing to her development."

Christiane Endler, Lyon goalkeeper: "We've been thinking about Arsenal since the draw. We know it's going to be a very difficult game; [they’re] a very competitive team. We also remember the result we had here [the 5-1 home loss], two seasons ago, which wasn't positive, so they are going to be a very tough opposition."

Where is the 2025 UEFA Women's Champions League final being played?

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Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon will stage the 2025 UEFA Women's Champions League final on Saturday 24 May.

The home of Sporting CP opened in 2003 ahead of UEFA EURO 2004 in Portugal, replacing another stadium of the same name. It hosted a semi-final of that tournament, among other games, and was the venue for the UEFA Cup decider the following year.

The 2025 final will be the second Women's Champions League showpiece to be held in Lisbon after 2014, when Estádio do Restelo staged Wolfsburg's 4-3 win against Tyresö.