Ellie Carpenter's Lyon has advanced to the UEFA Women's Champions League final, where Barcelona stand in the way of them securing their record ninth UWCL title.
Meanwhile, Mary Fowler scored a crucial brace as Manchester City retained the box seat in the WSL title race, while Hayley Raso scored an important equaliser for Real Madrid.
Read our preview of the Matildas Abroad action below.
UWCL
Barcelona overcame a first-leg deficit to advance to the UEFA Women's Champions League final at Chelsea’s expense, winning the second leg 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Aitana Bonmati scored in the first half before a controversial red card to Chelsea’s Kadeisha Buchanan meant that the home side would have to play out the second half with ten players. They couldn’t hold on, a penalty to Fridolina Rolfö securing the win for the European giants, who advance to their fourth-straight final.
Meanwhile, goals from Selma Bacha and Melchie Dumornay meant that Lyon defeated PSG 2-1 in the other semi-final, meaning that they advanced with a 5-3 aggregate victory. Tabitha Chawinga’s equaliser late in the first half gave PSG hope of a comeback but Lyon showed their class, and will hope to add to their eight UEFA Women’s Champions League trophies in the final.
Ellie Carpenter started and played the full match for Lyon at right-back. Clare Hunt, however, remained unavailable for PSG through injury.
England
A stoppage-time equaliser to 16-year-old Isabella Hobson snatched a point at the death for Everton, who held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw. The Gunners thought they had the winner after failing to break down a steadfast Everton defence when Alessia Russo struck in the 80th minute. However, the substitute Hobson was on hand to make it a fairytale finish, with Everton securing their first points against Arsenal since 2012.
Caitlin Foord and Steph Catley both started for Arsenal, with Kyra Cooney-Cross making her return from injury from the bench. Clare Wheeler started and played the full match for Everton in midfield. Due to Manchester City’s victory against Bristol City, Arsenal’s title hopes are now extinguished with this result.
Another dramatic late equaliser, this time from West Ham’s Shannon Cooke, meant that Aston Villa and West Ham played out a 1-1 draw. Villa thought they had made their 63% possession count when Alicia Lehmann scored in the 72nd minute but Cooke’s goal earned the Hammers a point. Mackenzie Arnold started in goals for West Ham, while Katrina Gorry remains unavailable with injury.
1-1 draws were the theme this round, as Tottenham Hotspur came from behind to draw with Brighton & Hove Albion. Elisabeth Terland scored her 13th goal this season in the first half to give the Seagulls the lead before Bethany England equalised in the second half for Spurs. Charli Grant started and played 75 minutes for Tottenham, while Charlie Rule remains unavailable for Brighton. Spurs remain a very slim chance of finishing fourth, but likely already have one eye on the FA Cup final to come.
Manchester United squeezed past Leicester City 1-0 to keep themselves in fourth place. The Foxes held on admirably until an 83rd minute Ella Toone goal broke their resistance. It’s a worrying sign for Leicester who are finishing the season in poor form, and will no doubt have an eye on rebuilding next campaign. Remy Siemsen and Courtney Nevin were both unused substitutes for Leicester.
A brace to Mary Fowler helped Manchester City unlock a stubborn Bristol City and keep themselves in the box seat in the championship race, as well as confirming relegation for Bristol, with a 4-0 win. The home side managed to hold out until the 62nd minute when a Fowler wondergoal from outside the penalty area broke the deadlock. A second goal followed 13 minutes later, which opened the floodgates.
Fowler and Alanna Kennedy both started the match for City, with Fowler’s brace marking her second and third goals in her WSL career.
Sweden
Two first-half goals to Hammarby consigned Kristianstads DFF to their second loss of the season in the Damallsvenskan. Smilla Vallotto was on the scoresheet for Hammarby, as well as an own goal credited against Kristianstads’ Anna Harrysson. Amy Sayer and Clare Polkinghorne both started for Kristianstads and will be hoping to pick up more positive results as the season continues.
BK Häcken came from behind to overcome Piteå 3-1. Jóhanna Fossdalsá Sørensen, Anna Sandberg and Filippa Curmark were the goalscorers for the Swedish heavyweights as they continued to build momentum early in the season. Aivi Luik was unavailable due to injury.
United States
San Diego Wave picked up their second win of the season on the weekend, defeating Bay FC 2-1. Makenzy Doniak’s first half goal was cancelled out by Nigerian international Asisat Oshoala, before youngster Jaedyn Shaw secured the winner late in the second half. Emily van Egmond entered the pitch at half-time, while Kaitlyn Torpey was substituted on in the 86th minute.
Spain
Real Madrid won 2-1 in dramatic fashion against Levante Las Planas, a 98th-minute winner to Claudia Zornoza the difference between the two sides. After Irina Uribe scored in the 9th minute with Levante’s only shot on target for the game they shut up shop, with only 20% possession across the match. Enter Hayley Raso – the 72nd-minute substitute came up big when it counted, scoring the equaliser, before Zornoza secured the winner.
Denmark
Winonah Heatley started and played the full match as Nordsjaelland put on a clinic in the first leg of the Danish Cup semi-final, defeating Naestved 7-0. Six different goalscorers, including former A-League Women’s player and Kiwi international Malia Steinmetz, were on the scoresheet as they all but secured their passage through to the cup final. They will contest the second leg in three weeks.