Arsenal vs Lyon LIVE: Women’s Champions League team news and updates

Lyon are record eight-time winners of the Champions League and are looking to win their first title since 2022.

They were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Chelsea in 2023 and lost in the final to Barcelona last season in Bilbao.

They won the competition five years in a row between 2016 and 2020.

Alessia Russo starts for Arsenal but Chloe Kelly is only fit enough for the bench, though Beth Mead is an excellent replacement as her England team-mate keeps her place on the right wing.

As expected, the injured goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar is replaced by Manuela Zinsberger. Arsenal are otherwise unchanged from the side that defeated Real Madrid 3-0 in the quarter-final second leg.

For Lyon, the big news is that captain Wendie Renard is only on the bench, with Alice Sombath and Vanessa Gilles in defence. Ada Hegerberg is also on the bench, with Kadidiatou Diani, Melchie Dumornay and Tabitha Chawinga starting.

Danielle van de Donk starts in midfield against her former team, alongside United States captain Lindsey Heaps.

Lyon XI: Endler; Carpenter, Gilles, Sombath, Bacha; Egurrola, Van de Donk, Heaps; Diani, Dumornay, Chawinga

Arsenal XI: Zinsberger; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Little, Mariona; Mead, Maanum, Foord; Russo

Arsenal face a Lyon team, managed by former Arsenal head coach Joe Montemurro, bidding to win the Champions League for a record-extending ninth time.

But on the eve of their fixture, which will be in front of an anticipated crowd in excess of 40,000 at the Emirates, Slegers said: “We know tomorrow is our chance and there will be an enormous crowd.

“It is a huge moment, we want to go for it, and we will take the opportunity by the throat.

“We understand the challenge we are facing because Lyon is a very experienced team and they have been here many times before so we have huge respect for their coach, their players and their history, but this is exactly where we want to be.

“Lyon are still a very strong side, but we have the hunger and belief that we are going to play to the best that we can, and even though we have huge respect of their threats, we believe we can do something tomorrow and we are going to go for it.”

Renee Slegers revealed her side are ready to draw inspiration from Mikel Arteta’s players, who secured their passage through to the semi-finals of the men’s Champions League with a 2-1 win in the Bernabeu earlier this week.

Slegers said: “I really feel like since I have come to this club, it is one club. After we won against Madrid (at the Emirates) I got messages from everyone across the club including Mikel, and he said it was an ‘inspiration’.

“I saw (Jurrien) Timber earlier, and he said, ‘Hey, Renne, good luck for tomorrow’, so they know what we are doing and we know what they are doing. We support each other and this is the first time in the club’s history we are both in the the semi-final so that is great.”

The early May bank holiday of 2023 is a significant date in Arsenal’s history. It was the first time the club had sold out the Emirates for a women’s match, paving the way for Arsenal to commit to hosting the majority of the team’s games at their main stadium. But, on a defiant, thrilling night in north London, Arsenal were defeated in the Women’s Champions League semi-finals. Wolfsburg progressed 5-4 on aggregate with a goal in the final minute of extra time.

Almost two years on, Arsenal’s semi-final first leg against the eight-time European champions Lyon stands as their biggest match since that historic occasion.

It was the half-time team talk to turn a tie, and save a season. Whatever Renee Slegers said, Arsenal emerged from the break to tear Real Madrid to pieces, scoring three goals in 14 minutes to reach the Women’s Champions League semi-finals at a canter.

Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, Arsenal turned it around with a 3-0 victory that flattered the visitors. The Gunners are the first team since 2018 to overturn a two-goal deficit and, with a semi-final against eight-time winners Lyon to come, the power of the Emirates was apparent again in this competition, delivering another rousing night.

Alessia Russo scored a brilliant brace in Arsenal’s 3-0 victory against Real Madrid in the second leg and the England international will be available to play against Lyon.

Both Russio, who has six goals across eight matches in the Champions League this season, and team-mate Chloe Kelly were injury doubts after they failed to feature in Arsenal’s Women’s Super League victory against Leicester on Tuesday.

But Renee Slegers said: “Alessia and Chloe will be fully available tomorrow so that is great. Both players have been working really hard with the medical team to get to this point so that they will be available for a lot of minutes.”

Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly are available after recovering from the injuries they picked up while on England duty – but goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar has been ruled out so Manuela Zinsberger may be required to step in.

Former Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg returned to help fire Lyon into the semi-finals but may not start with Kadidiatou Diani, Melchie Dumornay and Tabitha Chawinga established in the front line. With France’s Wendie Renard in defence and Lindsey Heaps of the United States in midfield, Lyon have plenty of experience at this level.