A first-half goal from Dutch striker Lineth Beerensteyn gave VfL Wolfsburg (women) a crucial 1-0 victory over Olympique Lyonnais Féminin in the first leg of their Women’s Champions League quarter-final in Germany on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old struck after 14 minutes, finishing off a swift counter-attack to stun the eight-time champions and hand Wolfsburg a slender advantage ahead of the return leg in France.
“The difference was that we were really strong collectively,” Beerensteyn told UEFA. “We fought for every metre, and I’m so proud of this team. It was an amazing performance.”
Lyon, aiming to lift the title for the first time since 2022, started brightly and dominated possession early on. However, Wolfsburg took the lead against the run of play when Vivien Endemann intercepted the ball and surged down the left before setting up Beerensteyn.
The forward adjusted well to a slightly misplaced pass and fired goalward, with a deflection wrong-footing Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler. The goal marked her fifth of the campaign.
Despite trailing, Lyon continued to control possession but struggled to break down a disciplined Wolfsburg defence, with the hosts posing a constant threat on the counter.
Goalkeeper Endler was forced into action on the half-hour, reacting quickly to deny Ella Peddemors, while veteran defender Wendie Renard cleared the danger.
Lyon came close to equalising early in the second half when Ada Hegerberg saw her header cleared off the line. Shortly before the hour mark, Kadidiatou Diani hit the post with a low drive across goal.
The visitors continued to press late on, with Marie-Antoinette Katoto glancing a header wide, but Wolfsburg held firm to secure a valuable first-leg win.
“It’s disappointing, but it’s only the first match,” said Lyon defender Ashley Lawrence. “There are still 90 minutes to play. We created chances and even hit the post, so there are positives to take.”
The second leg will be played in Lyon on April 2, with the winner set to face either Arsenal or Chelsea Women in the semi-finals.
AFP
