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DELPHINE Cascarino scored twice as eight-time winners Lyon beat Benfica to progress to the Women’s Champions League semi-finals.

Lyon led 2-1 from the first leg and a goal in each half from the France winger helped them reach the last four for a 13th time.

Benfica had equalised on the night when Marie-Yasmine Alidou slid in to score.

But Cascarino put Lyon back in front and Kadidiatou Diani’s late double sealed the success.

Lyon had dominated the first half but failed to make the most of their chances.

They claimed a 43rd-minute opener when striker Eugenie Le Sommer beat Benfica goalkeeper Lena Pauels to a loose backpass and then laid the ball off for Cascarino to calmly lift into an unguarded net.

Benfica responded two minutes later, with Chandra Davidson running on to Kika’s defence-splitting through-ball and squaring for Alidou to convert at the far post.

Six minutes into the second half, though, Sonia Bompastor’s side regained their two-goal aggregate advantage.

Cascarino, who has only recently returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, drove in from the left, skipped past two defenders and powered a shot into the bottom corner.

The hosts wasted opportunities to add to their tally but settled the outcome in stoppage time.

Diani’s 91st-minute shot deflected into the bottom corner after Benfica failed to deal with a cross and the forward got her second with almost the last kick of the game.

She brought down a long ball, Benfica defender Catarina Amado got a foot to it but could only send it into her own net via Diani’s knee.

Lyon will face Swedish side Hacken or Paris St-Germain over two legs in the last four with the French side leading 2-1 after the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

BBC

28th March, 2024.

C.E.

Tags: Benfica Lyon