Friday 21 August 2020, 17:57

Lyon and PSG set up all-French semi-final

  • Wolfsburg and Barcelona advanced to semi-finals on Friday

  • Holders Lyon and fellow French side PSG win narrowly

  • Barça face Wolfsburg on 25 August, Lyon v PSG the next day

Wolfsburg and Barcelona became the first two semi-finalists in the UEFA Women's Champions League after drastically different quarter-final matches on Friday, while holders Lyon and compatriots Paris Saint-Germain advanced a day later.

Similar to the men's competitions in Portugal (UEFA Champions League) and Germany (UEFA Europa League), the winner of the 2019/20 Women's Champions League season will be determined in a nine-day final tournament held in Bilbao and San Sebastian, Spain.

Wolfsburg, who won their round of 16 tie against Twente 7-0, met Glasgow City in the last-eight and gave the Scottish side little chance from the get-go in San Sebastian.

Head coach Stephan Lerch's side were 4-0 up by half-time and never looked back. Pernille Harder was the star of the evening, scoring an impressive four goals with two in each half, and put the result beyond any doubt.

Over in Bilbao in the other quarter-final of the day it was an all-Spanish duel as Atletico Madrid took on Barcelona. In stark contrast to proceedings in San Sebastian, the match was closely-fought with chances few and far between.

Atleti goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl managed to keep her side in the game with brilliant saves. However in the 80th minute, the Swede had no answer for Kheira Hamraoui, who calmly found the bottom corner with a precise shot.

"This was our first game in a very long time so a lot of things could have been better," said Barcelona forward Asisat Oshoala on UEFA.com. "Coming from a couple of months without playing, trying to get our rhythm going, we don't expect everything to be perfect but we can be better, for sure."

French sides prevail

Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal played out a tense and closely-fought quarter-final with the Parisians getting on the scoresheet first when Marie-Antoinette Katoto turned in a superb, one-time volley from a corner kick. Arsenal responded, though, and Beth Mead equalised with a curling, left-footed effort beyond the outstretched right arm of Christiane Endler.

Paris dominated the second half and it was an unlikely goalscorer, substitute Signe Bruun, who scored the winner, timing her run to steer home Katoto’s pinpoint, accurate low cross after the excellent Kadidiatou Diani won the ball back high up the pitch.

PSG will now have to get past French rivals and tournament favourites Lyon to reach a third final in their club history. Lyon edged Bayern Munich in the day's other quarter-final.

Nikita Parris bravely headed in Lyon's opening goal right before half-time, beating Laura Benkarth to the ball before getting levelled in the process. Amel Majri doubled Lyon's lead on the other side of the half with a beautifully-struck free-kick. It was far from a walk in the park for Lyon, though, and Bayern's Carolin Simon converted a free-kick of her own to make for a tense finish. However, Lyon did enough to hang on and set up an intriguing all-French semi-final in Bilbao on Wednesday.

Olympique Lyonnais v FC Bayern Muenchen - UEFA Women's Champions League Quarter Final