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Sophie Lawson reacts to Lyon’s win over French side PSG in the UWCL semi-finals. (2:21)
Lyon and Barcelona met at the weekend for away wins that secured a third Champions League final between the two teams in six years. On the other hand, Roma won the Serie A name and Crystal Palace secured promotion to the Women’s Super League, where Manchester City leaders felt the absence of their star striker.
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Of course, it would be Aitana Bonmatí who would make Barcelona fight back to defeat Chelsea and reach their fourth consecutive Champions League final. The Ballon d’Or winner showed exactly why she’s on track to improve ratings for her second year in a row.
After Bonmatí criticised Chelsea for betting on “ugly” football after Emma Hayes’ side won the first leg in Spain 1-0, the second leg in London was not pretty. However, the drive and raw skill that Bonmatí brings to the Catalans make her and her team the most productive in the world. What makes Bonmatí a player in her own right is her two-footed mastery, her vision and her versatility; Without it, Barcelona would be much less of a threat.
The 26-year-old scored the first goal of the night almost out of nowhere. He may have deserved a deflection, but his ability to create the scoring opportunity beat the hosts. Staying in midfield to orchestrate a battle for Les Bleus, he earned his side the decisive penalty that sealed a 2-0 victory that night and booked Barcelona their plane ticket to Bilbao next month.
Bonmatí may not be waning anytime soon, and her functionality will no doubt have helped her win another Ballon d’Or, but more importantly, it gives her and her beloved team another chance to be crowned the best in Europe.
After a thrilling second half to win the first leg 3-2, Lyon took advantage of their wealth of experience to tighten the screws on Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg and book an 11th-place finish for the Champions League final. Bacha’s goal in the 3rd minute was enough to calm the first nerves and keep Lyon’s nose ahead, even allowing PSG to respond and Tabitha Chawinga’s delayed goal in the first half.
A moment that deserves to be noted The sparks ended a little flat for the home side, whose capitulation, beyond what they should have in Lyon, had left them with the eighth ball before the second ball. In the end, despite all the progress PSG has made in recent years. For years, the game seemed familiar in an inferior team that struggled against Lyon’s senses, fun and quality.
There were sparks for the hosts, Sakina Karchaoui’s run, Chawinga’s willingness to attack Lyon’s defence, as well as two eye-catching saves from Constance Picaud. But Lyon’s victory was all too inevitable, as most of its history shared with the French capital team, which pitted the welterweight champion against the heavyweight champion.
After a combined season, Internazionale returned to action on Friday, visiting a Juventus side that needed to win to keep hopes of a name alive. For the visitors, who have shown smart efforts this season, the match was a chance to test their expansion against a team they had never beaten before.
A fluid move midway through the first half gave the visitors the lead when Agnese Bonfantini asked Elisa Polli to bring the ball home before Haley Bugeja doubled the lead as stoppage time approached. With all this to do, Juventus worked in attack, and their elder Sara Cetinja denied them productive opportunities when time ran out for the match and their name hopes. After parting ways with coach Joe Montemurro last month, the Bianconere have continued their frustrating form and want to hit the reset button over the summer. On the contrary, Inter seem to be heading in the right direction with a balance within the team and an increasingly exciting attack, which will allow for a more competitive Serie A next season.
The result of the result? Roma won a second consecutive Scudetto, with 4 games remaining.
Manchester City have led the way this season with dominant, controlled, goal-scoring performances. Still, the WSL’s most no-nonsense scorer, Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, played a big role, scoring 21 goals in 18 games. With the Jamaican foreigner now ruled out for the rest of the season, it took City more than an hour in their clash against Bristol City to make a breakthrough.
Shaw’s absence left a huge void in Gareth Taylor’s side, who were visibly disappointed with their first-half performance, and it took the league leaders more than an hour to score.
City are not short of a huge amount of attacking talent, but it is evident that the team relied too much on the 27-year-old’s instinctive nature and precision. While the afternoon ended with a 4-0 win, the seven big missed chances reveal a troubling narrative for the end of the campaign.
The remaining players will have to seize the opportunity for their performances and fill the void left by Shaw if they are to keep their hopes of winning their first WSL title since 2016 alive. Against third-placed Arsenal next weekend, City will have to reduce their waste in particular to prevent the name of the league from slipping away from them.
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In Sunday morning’s opening match in Ipurúa, Basque Country rivals Eibar and Athletic Club met in Liga F, with the visitors Bilbao winning thanks to goals from Ane Azkona and Jone Amezaga. Like Athletic’s season so far, the game fluctuated and the hosts figured out enough tactics to claim the 2-0 win and reinvigorate their hopes of completing a Champions League spot, four points behind third-placed Atletico Madrid.
Despite the defeat, the hosts still had plenty to celebrate later that day, as Real Madrid claimed the stoppage-time win against Levante, leaving Eibar mathematically out of the relegation zone and keeping the Basque Liga F contingent strong.
In England’s usually unpredictable second tier, Crystal Palace clinched the only promotion spot with a draw at home to third-placed Sunderland. Aside from a few wobbles in the season against their promotion rivals, the Eagles stayed the course, and although they couldn’t close out the season with a win, the promotion is well-deserved.
While the party is expected to continue throughout the week, it will be a quick return to activity for Eagles boss Laura Kaminski, who will have a busy summer preparing her team for the rigors of life in the WSL. On the same day, Bristol City’s descent into the WSL was shown: the Robins came back like a boomerang after a season of struggling on the most sensible flight.
The precarious nature of outdoor life at England’s wealthiest clubs is evident amid rumours that Palace’s promotion rivals are unlikely to meet the financial aspect of the Football Association’s licensing requirements for a position in the WSL. Palace, who came out on top, would possibly have been spared the FA redness.
Sunday’s lackluster performances mean fatigue, typical towards the end of the season, has set in. With an overwhelming amount of football played since last year, its effects are evident, leading to a string of lackluster and boring performances on Sunday.
Three: Tottenham Hotspur vs Brighton
Given the relentless demands of a grueling schedule, it’s no surprise that the burden placed on players is becoming more palpable. With two games remaining this season, it’s easy to see why there are so many tired legs, exhausted expressions and sleepy passes.