Juventus 2-1 Lyon: Bonfantini says comeback victory against ten-game OL | UEFA Women’s Champions League

Juventus penalized 10-year-old Lyon as they bounced back to claim a dramatic 2-1 victory in their UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final in Turin.

Catarina Macario’s eighth goal in the eighth minute was a narrow reward for the seven-time winner of the first half dominance, but Ellie Carpenter’s dismissal after the break proved to be pivotal. Cristiana Girelli jumped on a loose ball to equalize and Agnese Bonfantini came off the bench to mark a late Juve winner and change the momentum before deciding next Thursday.

Match as it happened

Match short: Late drama like Juventus Rally

Macario struck Delphine Cascarino’s setback in a smooth start, but continued visiting pressure shortly afterwards as she found the target with a solid header from Selma Bacha’s cross. Lyon, pressing high on the pitch, continued to dominate possession and territory, but a look back at Girelli and the offside flag stopped Melvine Malard as a second goal before the break.

Shrine dismissal for Lisa Boattin’s withdrawal shortly after the hour marked threatened to turn the tie around and soon. Girelli took advantage of Sarah Bouhaddi’s play from close range before Bonfantini – two minutes after coming on – ran on Arianna Caruso’s fine footing with seven minutes left to hit low into the net, an impressive comeback to make up the hopes of a knockout shock against the most successful side of the competition.

Visa Player of the Match: Agnese Bonfantini (Juventus)

“She made the difference after coming in as a replacement and shooting the winner – the stand-out player of the night.”
UEFA Technical Observer Panel

Reporter opinion

Fabio Balaudo, match reporter: If someone had told me two years ago that Juventus would play on a par with the seven-time winners of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, I would not have believed them. But that’s exactly what happened that evening. The 2-1 victory is an incredible result for the Bianconers as it leaves any scenario for the return match. Lyon are strong, but Juventus have managed to scare them off. And in a week, they will be counting on a shock qualifier.

Reaction

Agnese Bonfantini, Juventus match winner and player of the match: “It’s unbelievable – I’m in seventh heaven. We knew it was not an easy game but we prepared very well this week and deserved the victory. You know, Juve will never go up. And now we’re up in the air best in France because our goal is to reach the next stage. “

Linda Sembrant, Juventus Defender: “I’m really happy and proud of the team. Lyon are a strong team and they had quite a lot of ball in the first half, but we knew the game was going to be long and we managed to get back in.”

Catarina Macario, Lyon Goals: “We have controlled the game most of the time, but this is football. If you do not shoot, then you take a risk. Juventus are a great team, they are always getting better and they also have a great coach.”

Key statistics

• Cristiana Girelli’s equalizer made her the first player to reach nine goals in this season’s Champions League, including qualifiers.
• Lyon have lost just three of their last 41 Women’s Champions League matches (W35 D3).
• Juventus play in their first quarter-final of the Champions League for women.
• Lyon still hold an enviable record at this stage, having been eliminated in all of their first 11 relationships ahead of Paris Saint-Germain.
• Sarah Bouhaddi started for Lyon on her return loan from OL Reign, according to Emma Byrne’s competitive record for a goalkeeper (77).

Lineups

Juventus: Peyraud-Magnin; Lundorf, Gama, Sembrant, Boattin; Rosucci (Caruso 66), Pedersen, Grosso (Bonansea 66); Fast (Stašková 90 + 1), Girelli (Bonfantini 81), Cernoia (Nilden 90 + 1)

Lyon: Bouhaddi; Buchanan, Renard, Mbock Bathy; Carpenter, Egurrola, Macario (Cayman 67), Henry (Horan 76), Bacha (Marozsán 76); D. Cascarino (Laurent 85), Malard