Joe Montemurro, the manager of Olympique Lyon, has stated that his squad will remain focused and not take their foot off the pedal, despite having a slight edge over Arsenal in the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final.
Kadidiatou Diani and Melchie Dumornay led the reigning French champions to a 2-1 victory in the first leg, which took place at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Although Mariona Caldentey found the net for the Gunners, it wasn’t enough to trigger a comeback, leaving Arsenal’s aspirations of winning European silverware for the first time in 18 years looking precarious.
The seasoned coach acknowledged that his team had to “endure a bit” to clinch the win against his old side but firmly believes Lyon won’t become complacent, with plenty still on the line when Renee Slegers’ Arsenal visits.
“We anticipated a challenging match. Our objective was to come away with a win, but it was difficult, particularly in the last twenty to twenty-five minutes of the second half.
“Arsenal applied great pressure and we had to withstand a bit, but ultimately, we managed to pull through.”
Even though the eight-time Women’s Champions League winners secured an early lead, it was Arsenal who dominated possession and looked more threatening for large portions of the game.
The relentless efforts of the home side bore fruit in the 78th minute when Caldentey converted a penalty after goalkeeper Christiane Endler fouled Leah Williamson.
Just four minutes later, Dumornay restored the visitors’ advantage, assisted by Amel Majri.
When asked if Arsenal’s equaliser had caused him any concern, Montemurro responded: “No, it was more about resetting our formation and assessing the changes we could implement to regain control.
“We maintained our composure and weren’t overly anxious about the scoreline. Our main focus was to ensure we kept our shape.”
Prior to the first leg of the semi-finals, Lyon had claimed the Division 1 Feminine title a record 17 times. Their victory at the Emirates Stadium also extended Les Fenottes’ unbeaten run to 11 matches across all competitions.
The 55-year-old explained the driving force behind his team’s impressive winning streak.
He commented: “The group’s mentality to strive for excellence, their desire to improve, and their ability to grasp the significance of each moment has been exceptional.”
“We need to prepare as we normally would. Although we hold the advantage, we must have a solid week of training and identify areas for improvement as we look to carry this forward.”
The second leg is set to take place on April 27 at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, with the winner going on to face either Chelsea or Barcelona in the final at Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon on May 24.
Lyon have progressed from each of their last 11 Women’s Champions League semi-final ties since being eliminated by Duisburg in the 2008/09 season.
Before this anticipated clash, they will face Nantes in a league match that holds no consequences four days prior.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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