Published: 09:06, March 27, 2025
Ruthless Lyon beat Bayern 4-1 to reach women's Champions League semis
By Reuters
Lyon's French forward #11 Kadidiatou Diani (center) fights for the ball with Bayern Munich's German midfielder #12 Sydney Lohmann (left) and Bayern Munich's German defender #30 Carolin Simon (right) during the UEFA Women's Champions League quarter final second leg football match between Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) and FC Bayern Munich (GER) at the OL Stadium in Decines-Charpieu, central-eastern France, on March 26, 2025. (PHOTO / AFP)

Eight-times winners Olympique Lyonnais put on a ruthless second-half display to defeat Bayern Munich 4-1 in the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie on Wednesday, completing a 6-1 aggregate win.

Lyon named an unchanged side from last week's 2-0 first leg win in Munich, while Bayern manager Alexander Straus decided to shake things up, making five changes.

Bayern pushed forward from the off, pinning the hosts back in their own half as the German side looked for a goal to ignite the tie and the visitors rocked Lyon when Klara Buhl put them ahead 12 minutes before the break.

Buhl played a one-two with Momoko Tanikawa before driving forward into the area and drilling a low shot past keeper Christiane Endler which went in off the far upright, just the second goal Lyon had conceded in this season's competition.

"Honestly it's just not good enough from us," Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps said at halftime.

Lyon's Haitian midfielder #06 Melchie Dumonay (left) and Bayern Munich's Swedish defender #05 Magdalena Eriksson fight for the ball during the UEFA Women's Champions League quarter final second leg football match between Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) and FC Bayern Munich (GER) at the OL Stadium in Decines-Charpieu, central-eastern France, on March 26, 2025. (PHOTO / AFP)

"It's a difficult one, they come in with no pressure on their back and they go for goal. We just need to be better and focussed."

Focused they were, as less than 30 seconds after the interval Lyon restored their two-goal cushion with Melchie Dumornay heading in from a Kadidiatou Diani cross, and an awful mistake at the back saw Bayern fall further behind in the 54th minute.

READ MORE: Arsenal into women's Champions League semis as Russo double seals 3-0 win over Real

Giulia Gwinn lost control of the ball inside her own area and Diani pounced to send her shot into the net and six minutes later Lyon put the tie out of reach when Tabitha Chawinga finished off Diani's cross with a close-range strike.

Last year's finalists threatened to run riot, with Bayern needing keeper Maria Luisa Grohs to keep out efforts from Damaris Egurrola and Selma Bacha, before Ada Hegerberg scored Lyon's fourth goal in added time.

Lyon will meet the winner between Arsenal and Real Madrid, who play later on Wednesday, in the semi-final. Real are 2-0 up from the first leg.