Women's Champions League semi-finals full guide: Bayern vs Barcelona, Arsenal vs OL Lyonnes

The UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals have been set, with the ties on 25/26 April and 2/3 May deciding which two teams will meet in the Oslo decider.

Holders Arsenal face a rematch of their dramatic semi-final against record eight-time winners OL Lyonnes last season, with the north London side once again at home in the first leg. Meanwhile, Barcelona will aim to reach an unprecedented sixth consecutive final as they tackle a team looking to reach their first decider, Bayern München.

The full match schedule will be confirmed shortly.

Bayern München vs Barcelona

Bayern München (Germany)

League phase: 4th place
1-7 a vs Barcelona
2-1 h vs Juventus
3-2 h vs Arsenal
3-1 a vs Paris Saint-Germain
2-2 a vs Atlético de Madrid
3-0 h vs Vålerenga

Quarter-finals
5-3agg vs Manchester United (3-2 a, 2-1 h)

Top scorer: Pernille Harder 7

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 4
How they qualified: German champions
Last season: Quarter-finals
Domestic honours: 7 x League champions, 2 x Cup winners
Previous European best: Semi-finals (2018/19, 2020/21)

Semi-final record: W0 L2

Previous semi-finals

2020/21: 3-5agg vs Chelsea (2-1 h, 1-4 a)
2018/19: 0-2agg vs Barcelona (0-1 h, 0-1 a)

Campaign in a nutshell

Bayern began with a 7-1 loss at Barcelona but soon hit their stride. Substitute Lea Schüller struck deep in added time to beat Juventus, and Bayern then came back from two down to defeat holders Arsenal, before sandwiching a draw at Atlético de Madrid with defeats of Paris Saint-Germain and Vålerenga to seal fourth spot and a place in the quarter-finals.

By that point, Schüller had joined opponents Man Utd, but Bayern still had Pernille Harder and the Danish forward twice gave them the lead in the Old Trafford first leg. The hosts equalised on both occasions, but substitute Momoko Tanikawa then fired a brilliant winner, days after returning from Japan's AFC Asian Women's Cup victory in Sydney. Despite United levelling the aggregate scoreline in the return, Bayern struck twice in the last nine minutes.

Coach: José Barcala

Barcala was appointed Bayern coach at the start of this season, bringing a wealth of coaching experience going back two decades. His career began in his native Galicia as a youth trainer with Atlético Coruña Montañeros and Deportivo La Coruña, where he returned as head of youth coaching in 2014 after a year working at the University of Queensland.

In November 2017, Barcala moved back to Australia as Brisbane Roar academy coach, before becoming assistant at Bordeaux in January 2019 and then switching to Switzerland's Aarau in 2021, while also working as his former Girondins boss Pedro Martínez Losa as Scotland number two. In 2023, Barcala took his first senior head coaching role at Servette FCCF, winning the double in the first of his two seasons prior to his Bayern switch.

Did you know?

Klara Bühl weighed in with a league phase/group stage-record eight assists.

Barcelona (Spain)

League phase: 1st place
7-1 h vs Bayern München
4-0 a vs Roma
3-0 h vs OH Leuven
1-1 a vs Chelsea
3-1 h vs Benfica
2-0 a vs Paris FC

Quarter-finals
12-2agg vs Real Madrid (6-2 a, 6-0 h)

Top scorer: Ewa Pajor 7

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 1
How they qualified: Spanish champions
Last season: Runners-up
Domestic honours: 10 x League champions, 11 x Cup winners
Previous European best: Winners x 3 (2020/21, 2022/23, 2023/24)

Semi-final record: W6 L2

Previous semi-finals
2024/25: 8-2agg vs Chelsea (4-1 h, 4-1 a)
2023/24: 2-1agg vs Chelsea (0-1 h, 2-0 a)
2022/23: 2-1agg vs Chelsea (1-0 a, 1-1 h)
2021/22: 5-3agg vs Wolfsburg (5-1 h, 0-2 a)
2020/21: 3-2agg vs Paris Saint-Germain (1-1 a, 2-1 h)
2019/20: 0-1 vs Wolfsburg (n, San Sebastián)
2018/19: 2-0agg vs Bayern München (1-0 a, 1-0 h)
2016/17: 1-5agg vs Paris Saint-Germain (1-3 h, 0-2 a)

Campaign in a nutshell

Barcelona were the only club to finish first in their group in all four seasons of the previous format, and in the revamped league phase they naturally claimed top spot, leading after every matchday once they had begun by beating Bayern 7-1. The only 'slip' was a 1-1 draw at Chelsea, with whom Barcelona shared both the highest league phase goal tally (20) and fewest goals conceded (3).

Excused the knockout phase play-offs, Barcelona ensured their streak of quarter-final successes since 2018/19 continued as they surged to a 6-2 first-leg win at Real Madrid. A week later, Barcelona played their first game at the revamped Camp Nou and more than 60,000 spectators were on hand to watch a 6-0 victory, Alexia Putellas marking her 500th club game with the opening goal.

Coach: Pere Romeu

Romeu was a defensive midfielder as a player with amateur side Sarrià, where he also began coaching at youth level, then working at L'Hospitalet before being recruited by Barcelona in 2017. At La Masia, Romeu assisted Sergi Milà at Under-16 and U17 level, later taking his first senior role as number two to Rubén de la Barrera during his brief spell at Romania's Viitorul Constanța in 2020.

Romeu returned to Barcelona in 2021 as assistant to new women's coach Jonatan Giráldez, winning ten trophies over three seasons, including two Champions League titles. When Giráldez decided to move on after the 2023/24 campaign, Romeu was promoted as his replacement, clinching the Spanish double in his first season and reaching the Champions League final.

Did you know?

Barcelona have increased their record of consecutive semi-final appearances to eight and could set a new benchmark by reaching the decider for a sixth year in a row, one more than OL's current joint-best tally.

Arsenal vs OL Lyonnes

Arsenal (England, holders)

League phase: 5th place
1-2 h vs OL Lyonnes
2-0 a vs Benfica
2-3 a vs Bayern München
2-1 h vs Real Madrid
1-0 h vs Twente
3-0 a vs OH Leuven

Knockout phase play-offs
7-1agg vs OH Leuven (4-0 a, 3-1 h)

Quarter-finals
3-2agg vs Chelsea (3-1 h, 0-1 a)

Top scorer: Alessia Russo 8

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 7 (were seeded first in Pot 1 for league phase draw as defending champions)
How they qualified: Holders, English runners-up
Last season: Winners
Domestic honours: 15 x League champions, 14 x Cup winners
Previous European best: Winners (2006/07, 2024/25)

Semi-final record: W2 L6

Previous semi-finals
2024/25: 5-3agg vs OL (1-2 h, 4-1 a)
2022/23: 4-5agg vs Wolfsburg (2-2 a, 2-3aet h)
2012/13: 1-4agg vs Wolfsburg (0-2 h, 1-2 a)
2011/12: 1-4agg vs Frankfurt (1-2 h, 0-2 a)
2010/11: 2-5agg vs OL (0-2 a, 2-3 h)
2006/07: 5-2agg vs Brøndby (2-2 a, 3-0 h)
2004/05: 1-2agg vs Djurgården (1-1 a, 0-1 h)
2002/03: 2-8agg vs Fortuna Hjørring (1-3 a, 1-5 h)

Campaign in a nutshell

Arsenal lost to OL on Matchday 1, but their 2024/25 title campaign was built on recoveries, as the French side discovered in the semi-finals. Indeed, the Gunners ultimately progressed comfortably and only missed the top four by a point, though not without the blip of losing to Bayern on Matchday 3 despite having led 2-0.

Missing out on the top four meant a knockout phase play-off, but Arsenal ended OH Leuven's debut run with ease. Then came Chelsea in the first-ever one-city derby in this competition, and a 3-1 home win for Arsenal, capped by a superb goal from competition top scorer Alessia Russo, was followed at Stamford Bridge by a disciplined performance, the Gunners holding on despite conceding late to lose 1-0 on the night.

Coach: Renée Slegers

Slegers enjoyed a successful playing career, winning more than 50 caps with the Netherlands and playing briefly for Arsenal at youth level before later spells with Willem II, Djurgården and Linköping. After retirement due to injury, Slegers qualified as a coach in Sweden and took charge of Limhamn Bunkeflo in 2018, also scouting for the Netherlands at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

After briefly becoming Sweden U23 coach in 2021, she was appointed assistant to Jonas Eidevall at Rosengård, later taking charge of the club when he moved to Arsenal. Having clinched Swedish titles in 2021 and 2022, Slegers left Rosengård in April 2023 and became Eidevall's number two at Arsenal five months later, earning promotion after his October 2024 departure – initially as caretaker then permanently in January 2025, later masterminding a stunning Champions League success.

Did you know?

As well as being the only English club to win this competition, Arsenal claimed victory at the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup in February, beating Corinthians 3-2 after extra time at Arsenal Stadium.

OL Lyonnes (France)

League phase: 2nd place
2-1 a vs Arsenal
3-0 h vs St. Pölten
3-1 h vs Wolfsburg
3-3 a vs Juventus
3-0 a vs Manchester United
4-0 h vs Atlético de Madrid

Quarter-finals
4-1agg vs Wolfsburg (0-1 a, 4-0aet h)

Top scorer: Melchie Dumornay 5

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2024/25): 2
How they qualified: French champions
Last season: Semi-finals
Domestic honours: 18 x League champions, 10 x Cup winners
Previous European best: Winners (2010/11, 2011/12, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2021/22)

Semi-final record: W11 L3

Previous semi-finals
2024/25: 3-5agg vs Arsenal (2-1 a, 1-4 h)
2023/24: 5-3agg vs Paris Saint-Germain (3-2 h, 2-1 a)
2021/22: 5-3agg vs Paris Saint-Germain (3-2 h, 2-1 a)
2019/20: 1-0 vs Paris Saint-Germain (n, Bilbao)
2018/19: 3-2agg vs Chelsea (2-1 h, 1-1 a)
2017/18: 1-0agg vs Manchester City (0-0 a, 1-0 h)
2016/17: 3-2agg vs Manchester City (3-1 a, 0-1 h)
2015/16: 8-0agg vs Paris Saint-Germain (7-0 h, 1-0 a)
2012/13: 9-1agg vs Juvisy* (3-0 h, 6-1 a)
2011/12: 5-1agg vs Turbine Potsdam (5-1 h, 0-0 a)
2010/11: 5-2agg vs Arsenal (2-0 h, 3-2 a)
2009/10: 3-2agg vs Umeå (3-2 h, 0-0 a)
2008/09: 2-4agg vs Duisburg (1-1 h, 1-3 a)
2007/08: 1-1agg, lost on away goals vs Umeå (1-1 h, 0-0 a)
*now Paris FC

Campaign in a nutshell

OL fell behind early on Matchday 1 to last season's semi-final nemeses Arsenal, but Melchie Dumornay struck twice for a 2-1 win that began a comfortable journey through the league phase, the eight-time winners finishing behind Barcelona on goal difference alone. Even their one draw was memorable, OL recovering from a 3-0 half-time deficit at Juventus, with Wendie Renard equalising via a last-minute penalty.

The French side's quarter-final against Wolfsburg did not start well as an early, deflected Lineth Beerensteyn goal meant they had to overturn a 1-0 deficit at home. Lily Yohannes levelled matters in the first half, but Wolfsburg took the tie to extra time, before substitutes Melchie Dumornay, Damaris Egurrola and Tabitha Chawinga booked OL a 15th semi-final.

Coach: Jonatan Giráldez

Giráldez is aiming to become the only coach to win this trophy three times and the first to claim it with two different clubs after his appointment by OL this season. His previous successes came with Barcelona in 2022/23 and 2023/24, the former lower-division player having joined the club as assistant to Lluís Cortés after previously working in youth coaching for Espanyol and the Catalonia Football Federation.

After Cortés led Barcelona to a treble in 2020/21 – including their first Champions League title – Giráldez took over as head coach, winning the league in all three of his seasons at the helm as well as reaching three Champions League finals (winning two) and lifting two Copa de la Reinas. Indeed, his overall win percentage from 139 games was 93.53%. In 2024, he joined Washington Spirit, remaining for a year before moving to OL, where he has already won the inaugural French Women's League Cup.

Did you know?

Renamed from Olympique Lyonnais this season, OL have reached an unmatched 11 finals in winning their record eight titles and are now through to a record 15th semi-final (six more than anyone else).

"Cup winners" refers only to main FA national cup in each country.