Lyon sink Wolfsburg to maintain Champions League dominance
Five years have passed and Olympique Lyon remain determined that their opponents will not. Superb in the first half, resolute in the second, they are European champions again, captain Wendie Renard lifting a trophy she and they have now won seven times. A 3-1 win over Wolfsburg continues their dominance, goals from Eugénie Le Sommer, Saki Kumagai and Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir seeing them end another untouchable season showered with confetti, this time in San Sebastián.
The Icelander, who joined Lyon from Wolfsburg only last month and would have been eligible for a medal whoever won, barely celebrated when she got the late goal that finally secured the trophy in what were shaping up to be difficult final minutes. Her teammates, though, did, subs streaming on to the pitch to join them at the final whistle. They are used to winning but it is a feeling they continue to chase voraciously, driven by players that are still the envy of the continent.
Two up by half time, Lyon saw Wolfsburg pull one back to make it 2-1 and threaten to drag this game into extra time, just like the previous two times they met in the final. But then as the minutes ticked away and the tension built, Lyon escaped to victory. Le Sommer smashed a shot that hit Gunnarsdóttir and went in from a couple of yards.
Ultimately there could be no complaints – even if for Wolfsburg, going through it all again, it felt cruel. Twice winners, they have now lost three finals and two quarter-finals to Lyon, their European adventure ending against the same opponents five years running.
There was optimism that this time might be different. Lyon had not always convinced in northern Spain and were without Ada Hegerberg and Nikita
Parris, their two top scorers. They did, though, have Delphine Cascarino. Or did they have two? In a superb first half, she seemed to be everywhere, Lyon beginning on the front foot, determined to reassert their authority, not allowing room for Wolfsburg to believe. It’s us, remember.
It was too, any hit of vulnerability vanishing. Kumagai and Gunnarsdóttir imposed authority in the middle. Le Sommer was lively. Dzsenifer Marozsán picked out passes, a floated free-kick allowing the towering Renard to connect with the first of two headers that might have troubled Wolfsburg more.
And on the right, Cascarino flew, delivering an early warning with some gorgeous footwork and not letting up until the break.
Lyon kept possession; Cascarino was possessed. One run drew a sharp save from Friederike Abt. Next, an astonishing touch took her away from Alexandra Popp. And then she provided the first goal, intervening three times in the move before turning a sharp, clever ball back for Le Sommer to score at the second attempt.
Cascarino was not done. Poor Sara Doorsoun-Khajeh, who had to deal with her, soon was – with the French winger running at her again, a desperate tackle left a twisted knee. Her replacement at full-back, Dominique Janssen, immediately befell a similar fate: Cascarino bamboozled her too, wonderful skill preceding a cross which, half-cleared, eventually found Kumagai to score an excellent second from the edge of the area.
Lyon were on their way, it seemed. The second half began with Cascarino finding Le Sommer again, the threat of more. But Wolfsburg reacted, pressure built and soon there was a way back into this. Dashing from deep, Pernille Harder slipped the ball left for Fridolina Rolfö, overlapping outside. Her cross came to Ewa Pajor and, whether by accident or design, she turned it into Popp. The midfielder, a qualified zoo keeper, headed home inside the sixyard box. This was a contest now.
Wolfsburg, a quick, direct side adept at invading the space behind the defence, began to find space and room to run. Lyon no longer looked in control, the energy dropping and the ball not sticking now. Lucy Bronze increasingly had to go head to head with the impressive Rolfö, a battle building as Wolfsburg looked to the wing for a way through.
But Lyon are a side of character as well as quality, Bronze rose to the challenge supported by Kadeisha Buchanan, and collectively the champions resisted, holding what they had: a fifth consecutive European Cup. When the ball flew in off the heel of Gunnarsdóttir with two minutes left, it was theirs again.