Women’s C1: Lyon and Dumornay have fun against Benfica 4-1

Two doubles from Delphine Cascarino and Kadidiatou Diani allowed Lyon to qualify for the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League by beating Benfica Lisbon 4-1 on Wednesday at Groupama stadium in the second leg of the quarter-finals.

In the first leg, OL had already won 2-1 and Cascarino had already been decisive by equalizing at 1-1 while the Lyonnaises were trailing at half-time.

For this second round played in front of nearly 20,000 spectators, Lyon, who will face in the semi-final, Paris Saint-Germain or the Swedes of Häcken, opposed Thursday at the Parc des Princes, still dominated for a long time without scoring during a first quite poor period, certainly without Ada Hegerberg, injured.

While Eugénie Le Sommer (13), Delphine Cascarino (16, 33) failed in front of the Lisbon cage for very good opportunities, the latter still managed to open the score after a back serve from Le Sommer, who had benefited from a missed outing from goalkeeper Lena Pauels (43).

But Benfica managed to quickly equalize through Marie-Yasmine Alidou upon receiving a cross delivered by Lucia Alves (45th).

Lyon striker Kadidiatou Diani (d) scores a double against Benfica, March 27, 2024 at Décines-Charpieu / Olivier CHASSIGNOLE / AFP

Returning from the locker room, the replacements of Le Sommer and Sara Däbritz by Melchie Dumornay and Damarris Egurolla energized OL’s game and Cascarino brought the score to 2-1 with a long shot which surprised Pauels (51st).

The international, who has returned for a few weeks from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in her knee which deprived her of the 2023 World Cup last summer, but who hopes to be selected for the Olympic Games with the French team, was able to give way to Vicky Becho in the 76th minute.

But apart from Delphine Cascarino’s double, OL once again sinned by their lack of offensive efficiency despite two other goals from Kadidiatou Diani in added time (90+1, 90+5).

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