Down but not out, Lyon score five-peat
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Lyon players celebrating their fifth straight Champions League title after clinching a 3-1 win over Wolfsburg in the final played at the Anoeta stadium in San Sebastian, Spain. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
SAN SEBASTIAN (Spain) • The loss of two key strikers would have ended the hopes of many teams, but when you have an embarrassment of attacking riches like Lyon, it is but a minor annoyance.
Earlier in the season, the French women's champions lost former Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg of Norway to a knee injury, while a red card for England's Nikita Parris in the semi-final with Paris Saint-Germain saw her suspended for the final against German champions Wolfsburg.
Lyon were, however, able to shrug off their absence, on top of the injured French pair of Amandine Henry and Griedge Mbock, with ease, running out 3-1 winners on Sunday to record their fifth straight Champions League title.
Frenchwoman Eugenie le Sommer opened the scoring and Japan's Saki Kumagai doubled their lead before half-time, with German Alexandra Popp pulling one back, before Iceland's Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir put the icing on the cake late on.
Lyon have now equalled the feat achieved by the Real Madrid men's team between 1956 and 1960.
With all of their seven titles coming in the last decade, this latest triumph confirms their status as the finest team around, even as rivals around Europe step up their investment in the women's game.
"People said it was the best time to play us because we were missing so many players, but we were the best side in the first half by a long shot, and the game was almost finished at half-time," England defender Lucy Bronze said afterwards. "We've definitely got the strongest squad in the world."
Despite Wolfsburg's best efforts, there is little to suggest that Lyon will be knocked off their perch any time soon, and skipper Wendie Renard believes the club's success is a result of the many hours spent on the training ground.
"It's hard to be a winner, you have to work extremely hard. You battle year in, year out for this trophy. We're bringing it back for the fans," the France defender said.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
-
7
Champions League titles Lyon have won in the last 10 years.
