Matildas set to clash as Arsenal and Lyon advance to Champions League semifinal

At least one Australian player will feature in this season's UEFA Women's Champions League final, as both Arsenal and Lyon have successfully advanced to the semi-finals, adding glory to Australian football.

Two of Arsenal's three Australian internationals played a key role in the team's comeback victory. In front of 22,517 spectators in London, Arsenal defeated Real Madrid 3-0, successfully overturning a 0-2 deficit from the first leg and advancing triumphantly. Meanwhile, Lyon, with a stellar performance from Ellie Carpenter, defeated Bayern Munich 4-1, with the Australian player having previously won a Champions League title.

Lyon, coached by Australian manager Joe Montemurro, ultimately progressed comfortably with a 6-1 aggregate score. Notably, Montemurro previously coached Arsenal, and this semi-final will see him reunited with former charges Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord, both of whom were brought to Arsenal during Montemurro's tenure. On the other hand, Sam Kerr's Chelsea and Mary Fowler's Manchester City are also still in contention, and they will play their quarter-final second leg on Friday morning (Australian Eastern Daylight Time), with Manchester City currently leading 2-0.

In Arsenal's match, Catley played as a centre-back, and Foord played as a left winger, while another Australian international, Kyra Cooney-Cross, was on the bench. Arsenal dominated the game, creating numerous chances, but there were not many clear-cut scoring opportunities in the first half. The turning point of the match came between the two halves. Near the end of the first half, Arsenal goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar made consecutive saves from Filippa Angeldahl and Linda Caicedo, preventing Arsenal from conceding a third goal that could have completely changed the game.

Having escaped danger, Arsenal seized their opportunity. Just four minutes into the second half, they leveled the aggregate score. Less than a minute into the second half, Foord dribbled across the field, breaking through multiple defenders before passing to Kelly, who delivered a precise cross for Russo to score. Before Real Madrid could regroup, Kelly crossed again, and Mariona Caldentey's header slipped past Real Madrid goalkeeper Misa's save. Subsequently, Catley contested a free kick from Katie McCabe, and the ball fell to Russo, who hooked it into the goal, giving Arsenal the lead. Russo then had two more goals disallowed for offside, making the match intense. Van Domselaar again saved a shot from Caicedo, and Foord had two chances to seal the victory, ultimately allowing Arsenal to celebrate.

In France, eight-time Champions League winner Lyon saw their 2-0 first-leg advantage reduced when Klara Bühl scored in the 33rd minute, making the match tense. However, less than 30 seconds into the second half, Melchie Dumornay restored Lyon's lead. Goals from Kadidiatou Diani and Tabitha Chawinga effectively sealed the victory by the hour mark. Ada Hegerberg added another goal in stoppage time.

Another quarter-final took place on Thursday night, with defending champion Barcelona hosting Wolfsburg, holding a 4-1 lead from the first leg. The winner will face either Chelsea or Manchester City in the semi-finals in a month's time, and Kerr hopes to have fully recovered from her ACL injury and be able to represent Chelsea.