Caldentey
Image caption, Arsenal had never before won the first leg of a Champions League semi-final tie
At a glance
Arsenal beat Lyon 2-1 in Champions League semi-final first leg to edge towards second successive final
Super Jule Brand solo goal gives Lyon early lead
Lyon goalkeeper spills Mariona Caldentey for Arsenal equaliser
Defensive mix-up allows Olivia Smith to score winner
Arsenal benefitted from defensive mistakes as they came from behind to beat Lyon 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
Jule Brand fired Lyon in front with a superb solo effort in the 17th minute, before Mariona Caldentey's free-kick was fumbled by Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler into the back of her own net.
Olivia Smith then ensured Arsenal will take an advantage into next weekend's second leg when she passed into an empty net after a defensive mix-up.
Figure caption,
Another defensive mix-up from Lyon allows Smith to give Arsenal the lead
Arsenal started on the front foot, but were stunned when Brand cut in from the left flank, spun away from Kim Little and drilled a shot into the corner of Daphne van Domselaar's goal.
If the home side drifted to half-time, they began the second half with renewed energy and purpose.
Smith fired into the side-netting before Arsenal were awarded a penalty, but a video assistant referee (VAR) review concluded that Lyon captain Wendie Renard had won the ball when challenging Little.
Smith then looked certain to score when she met Katie McCabe's cut-back from the byeline, but her first-time strike was kept out by the legs of Endler.
The Lyon goalkeeper went from hero to villain in the 58th minute when she took her eye off Caldentey's delivery under pressure from Stina Blackstenius and inadvertently helped the ball on its way into the corner.
VAR allowed the goal to stand despite Renard's claims that she was fouled as the cross came in.
From that point the game became stretched - Lyon winger Kadidiatou Diani smacked a shot off the crossbar when through on goal, before Smith pounced on a mix-up between Endler and Lyon defender Ingrid Engen to stroke the ball into the empty net for the winner.
The second leg will take place at Lyon's Groupama Stadium on Saturday, 2 May (14:00 BST).
Analysis: Slegers finds the answer but luck plays its part
At the ninth time of asking, Arsenal have finally won the first leg of a Champions League semi-final tie.
The Gunners looked to set out their stall early on, with Alessia Russo finding plenty of space in between the Lyon defence and midfield in which to try to set up her team-mates.
Lyon soon clocked onto that and began pressing Arsenal high up the pitch in order to disrupt their build-up play and effectively starve Russo, Smith and Caitlin Foord of the ball.
Brand's goal came from an interception in the Arsenal third, although Leah Williamson should have stepped up to close the space behind Little.
Renee Slegers' half-time solution was to make her side press higher and hit the visitors through rapid transitions, something Lyon couldn't cope with.
Blackstenius struggled to find the kind of space she craves in behind the Lyon defence, but it was her run at Caldentey's free-kick that spooked the experienced Endler into botching an easy claim.
As improved as Arsenal were, they were also undoubtedly the beneficiaries of major luck.
Shortly after Diani hit the crossbar with only Van Domselaar to beat, Engen let a pass slip under her boot, collided with Endler, and Smith finished into the unguarded goal.
Arsenal may not get such luck in Lyon next weekend, but they may not need it. A second successive Champions League final appearance is theirs to lose.
Arsenal will try to close the gap on WSL leaders Manchester City when they host bottom club Leicester City on Wednesday, 29 April (19:00 BST).
On the same evening, Lyon will warm up for next weekend's second leg with a league trip to Nantes (18:00 BST).
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