Arsenal's players celebrate their side's second goal scored by Olivia Smith during the Women's Champions League semi-final, first leg match against OL Lyonnes in London, England on Sunday.Andrew Matthews/The Associated Press
Arsenal benefited from two defensive blunders to rally for a 2-1 win over Lyon in the first leg of the Women’s Champions League semi-finals on Sunday, keeping the English club on course to defend its title.
Trailing to Jule Brand’s 19th-minute goal for record eight-time champion Lyon, Arsenal was gifted an equalizer in the 59th when Mariona Caldentey’s low free kick into the area was fumbled backward by goalkeeper Christiane Endler and onto the post. Lyon centre back Ingrid Engen, stretching to make the clearance, inadvertently turned the ball into her own net.
Engen compounded that mistake by misreading a back-pass from teammate Lindsey Heaps in the 83rd minute. Olivia Smith got to the ball ahead of Engen, had a shot saved by Endler, and recovered to convert the rebound.
The return match is in Lyon on Saturday.
In the other semi-final, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are locked at 1-1 after the first leg in Germany.
The final will be in Oslo on May 23.
Arsenal is seeking to beat Lyon in the semi-final stage for a second straight year. Last season, Lyon won the first leg at Emirates Stadium but was thrashed 4-1 in the second match en route to Arsenal winning the title for the second time.
This time, Arsenal holds the advantage at halfway.
“Lyon are giants of European football and have a great crowd like we do,” Arsenal captain Leah Williamson said. “So an intensity that matches that occasion will be key. We have to be really clinical, defensively secure and we’ll see.”
Lyon's Chilean goalkeeper Christiane Endler (right) punches the ball from Arsenal's Swedish striker (25) Stina Blackstenius (second right) during their women's UEFA Champions League first-leg semi-final match at the Emirates Stadium, north London, on Sunday.GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images
A tight first half was illuminated by the solo goal from Brand, who ran through the heart of Arsenal’s defence down the inside-left channel and cut into the area before shooting low inside the post.
In between Arsenal’s goals, Lyon forward Kadidiatou Diani crashed a shot off the crossbar.