The Champions League Final festivities kicked off in Cardiff last night as the Welsh capital hosted the Women's UCL Final. In an affair of full French flair Lyon edged past PSG by the narrowest of 7-6 victories on penalties to become Champions of Europe for a record fourth time.
Lyon roared to successive Champions League victories and successive trebles on a nervous night at Cardiff City Stadium. Two days and one mile away from the men's final at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, the French giants played out a cautious and goalless 120 minutes before Lyon held their nerve to confirm their status as the queens of women's football on the European stage.
Backed a crowd of over 20,000 creating a boisterous atmosphere, the game took a heavy hit in just the 20th minute as Lyon’s USA international and World Cup winner Alex Morgan was injured and had to be replaced. Joining Morgan on the sidelines was PSG's Cruz; The withdrawal of the 39-year-old who featured at the 1995 World Cup all but ended PSG's chances of scoring and penalties left the Cardiff crowd on edge in the cruelest way to lose a major final.
For PSG, it was the hardest, most emotionally draining way of ending a season and the players faces told that story. For Lyon, their dominance in women's football marched from strength to strength. The club are building something special and you wouldn't bet against them making it three trebles on the bounce next season. For all the heartache and ecstasy on show the biggest winner was the women's game itself and the evidence of growth on display. Two French clubs playing a final abroad in front of 20,000 raucous fans.
Photography by John Wellings for SoccerBible.
