The lowdown on Olympique Lyonnais Féminin

FC Barcelona meet Olympique Lyonnais in the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League in Turin this Saturday at 7.00pm CEST.

Here’s a closer look at the French side that stands between Barça and a second consecutive European title…

HISTORY

Founded as FC Lyon in 1970, the team had been French champions on four occasions before becoming associated to the city’s professional men’s team in 2004. As Olympique Lyonnais Fémenin they have utterly dominated the league, with an incredible run of 15 consecutive titles finally being interrupted by PSG last season.

But their success has not only been domestic. They first won the UWCL in 2011 and have gone to win it a record seven times, including an amazing five in a row from 2016 to 2020, a run that was finally broken last season by FC Barcelona.

HEAD TO HEAD

This is only the third time that the two heavyweights have crossed paths in the UWCL, and Barça are still looking for their first win. The sides met in the final three seasons ago, and Lyon won comfortably that day, but a lot has changed since then…

2017-18 UWCL Quarter Final
FC Barcelona 1-2 Olympique Lyon
Olympique Lyon 1-0 FC Barcelona

2018-19 UWCL Final (Budapest)
Olympique Lyon 4-1 FC Barcelona

FORM GUIDE

Lyon have been in emphatic form in the French league, winning every game but one, a highly unexpected 1-1 draw at bottom club St Etienne. They have an immense 74-8 goal difference including a 6-1 win over second placed PSG, who they lead by five points.

However, Lyon went out of the French cup at the first hurdle after they were drawn away to PSG and lost 3-0.

ROAD TO THE FINAL

Lyon topped their first round group, although it was tight battle for ther honour with Bayern Munich. Group D was completed by Benfica and Swedish side BK Häcken.

In the knockout stages, they beat Juventus and then domestic rivals PSG, but neither case was an easy mission:

Quarter Final
Juventus 2-1 Olympique Lyon
Olympique Lyon 3-1 Juventus

Semi Final
Olympique Lyon 3-2 Paris St Germain
Paris St Germain 1-2 Olympique Lyon

THE PLAYERS

Most international caps:
Eugénie Le Sommer (France, 175); Sarah Bouhaddi (France, 149); Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir (Iceland, 138); Wendie Renard (France, 131); Janice Cayman (Belgium, 124); Daniëlle van de Donk (Holland, 123); Kadeisha Buchanan (Canada, 116); Dzsenifer Marozsán (Germany, 111); Lindsey Horan (USA, 109); Amandine Henry (France, 93); Christiane Endler (Chile, 69); Ada Hegerberg (Norway, 68); Amel Majri (France, 66); Griedge Mbock Bathy (France, 65); Ellie Carpenter (Australia, 57)

Top scorers 2021/22
Catarina Macario (13); Ada Hegerberg & Melvine Malard (12)

THE COACH

In an illustrious playing career mainly as a left back and defensive midfielder, Sonia Bompastor earned 156 international caps for France, winning two UWCLs with Lyon and spending one season at Washington Freedom in the US.

On retirement in 2014 she joined the staff at OL and was appointed head coach in 2021.