Women's Champions League semi-final second legs on Sunday: Chelsea v Barcelona, Lyon v Arsenal
The UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals conclude on Sunday. We look back at the highlights with the final in Lisbon now on the horizon.
Walk towards Lisbon
Semi-finals
Second leg:
Sunday 20 AprilChelsea v Barcelona (2pm, first leg: 1-4)
Lyon v Arsenal (5pm, first leg: 2-1)
Final (José Alvalade Stadium, Lisbon)
Saturday 24 May
Arsenal / Lyon - Barcelona / Chelsea (17:00)
Mainland Portugal Time
Chelsea - Barcelona ( first leg: 1-4 )
Barcelona - Chelsea in European competitions
2024/25 semi-final first leg: Barcelona 4-1 Chelsea
2023/24 semi-finals: Barcelona 0-1/2-0 Chelsea (agg: 2-1)
2022/23 semi-finals: Chelsea 0-1/1-1 Barcelona (agg: 1-2)
2020/21 final: Chelsea 0-4 Barcelona (Gothenburg)
First-mentioned team hosted two-legged ties
For the third year running, Chelsea and Barcelona will meet in the semi-final second leg on 27 April. Two years ago they drew 1-1 at Camp Nou and last season Barcelona won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to progress with a 2-1 aggregate score. Chelsea will not lose by that scoreline this time around, but they will have a huge task if they are to reach their second final after Barcelona's 4-1 first-leg victory.
The score was still 1-0 to Barça through Ewa Pajor midway through the second half, but the holders then introduced the competition's top scorer, Claudia Pina, who scored her eighth and ninth goals of the season, one in each half, after her corner was headed in by Irene Paredes just after Sandy Baltimore had reduced the deficit to 2-1. Barcelona have won their last 17 two-legged games in a seven-year period and have never been eliminated after winning the first leg.
Lyon - Arsenal ( first leg: 2-1 )
Arsenal - Lyon in European competitions
2024/25 semi-final first leg: Arsenal 1-2 Lyon
2022/23 group stage: Lyon 1-5 Arsenal, Arsenal 0-1 Lyon
2010/11 semi-finals: Lyon 2-0/3-2 Arsenal (agg: 5-2)
2008/09 second round: Lyon 3–0 Arsenal (played at Lyon)
2007/08 quarter-finals: Lyon 0-0/3-2 Arsenal (agg: 3-2)
First-mentioned team hosted two-legged ties
Lyon, seeking a 12th final in this competition in 24 years, beat Arsenal 2-1 on Saturday and although Mariona Caldentey's penalty cancelled out Kadidiatou Diani's opener, Melchie Dumornay scored eight minutes from time. Although Lyon have only lost twice in their 14 semi-finals, Arsenal now need to overturn the deficit to avoid a seventh elimination in their eight semi-finals, having already done so in the two previous ties this season against Häcken and Real Madrid, albeit at home. Last season Barcelona were beaten 1-0 at home in the first leg of their semi-final against Chelsea and still managed to reach the final (and beat Lyon).
Without goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar through injury, Arsenal looked the likeliest winners of the first leg when Mariona converted her 78th-minute penalty. But Lyon have been formidable all season under former Gunners boss Joe Montemurro, and the combination of Dumornay, Diani and Tabitha Chawinga has paid off once again. It has helped them win all nine of their competition games this season; no team has managed a ten-game run since the start of a season (Umeå won all nine in 2003/04 and Barcelona made a similar start to Lyon in 2021/22 but lost their remaining two games).
Where will the 2025 UEFA Women's Champions League final be played?
The Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon will host the 2025 UEFA Women's Champions League final on Saturday 24 May.
The home of Sporting CP was opened in 2003, ahead of UEFA EURO 2004 in Portugal, replacing the old stadium of the same name. It hosted a semi-final of that European Championship, as well as other matches in the competition, and hosted the UEFA Cup final the following year.
The 2025 final will be the second Women's Champions League final to be held in Lisbon, after 2014, when Estádio do Restelo hosted Wolfsburg 4-3 Tyresö.