Lyon 3-1 Arsenal (4-3 Agg): Lyon prevail in heavyweight clash to claim spot in final and knock holders out

However, the visitors were handed a reprieve when Ingrid Engen was adjudged to be blocking goalkeeper van Domselaar from an offside position.

Lyon’s imposing pursuit to draw level continued as the returning Melchie Dumornay persistently chased to get ahead of Lotte Wubben-Moy, who clipped Dumornay late.

Following VAR’s call for the referee to reconsider the initial decision, a penalty was awarded for veteran defender Renard to assume duties from the spot.

Van Domselaar dived sharply down to her left to prevent Lyon’s opener, but Renard could retake her penalty kick due to the Arsenal keeper stepping off the goal line to make the save, and she slotted into the same corner.

To momentarily halt Lyon’s dominance, Russo threaded a pass through to Stina Blackstenius. The Gunners were unable to exploit the rare opportunity to test Christiane Endler due to Renard’s timely sliding challenge on the Swede.

Dumornay and Diani’s quality had shone through to expose Katie McCabe’s vulnerable left-hand side and set-pieces were no exception to Lyon’s menacing attacking play.

Brand floated a delivery deep from a corner to Diani, who stretched to divert the ball towards goal and this gave Lyon the lead in the overall tie. Arsenal would need to conjure a second half comeback once again to emerge victorious.

Caitlin Foord’s enterprising dart inside sent the message they were indeed capable of turning the tide, and Arsenal started to command greater possession.

She shifted it to Blackstenius on the edge of the area, where the Gunners striker spun and rattled the crossbar, albeit a tight offside decision would have ruled out a goal.

Moments later, Olivia Smith was lurking in the box and prodded the ball towards goal, which trickled agonisingly onto the post as Lyon’s slender lead looked to be fragile.

Substitute Smilla Holmberg burst past Bacha down the right and whipped in a venomous cross. Russo stormed between two Lyon defenders, including Ashley Lawrence, and bundled the ball home for her ninth goal in Europe’s premier competition.

Dumornay’s curled effort whistled just past the post with Lyon eager to recapture the momentum they had largely relinquished at the Groupama Stadium.

After four matches out with injury, she orchestrated her side’s final roll of the dice to clinch a spot in the final before extra-time.

Dumornay spotted Brand, who coolly executed a sumptuous volley into the corner and wheeled away in celebration, despite VAR threatening to intervene again. To the jubilant home crowd’s relief, Brand held her run to marginally remain onside.

In his first season at the helm of Lyon, alongside winning the domestic title, Jonatan Giraldez has overseen Lyon’s return to the Champions League final, exacting revenge on the side that knocked them out last term in the process.

Meanwhile, Arsenal came to rue their lacklustre first half amid Lyon’s flair and intent to fight back, and the WSL title is also becoming out of sight with Manchester City expected to claim maximum points in their final two league games.