Manchester City go into next weekend’s UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final 2nd leg all square, after a goalless draw with the holders at the Academy Stadium.
The hosts were grateful for interceptions by Demi Stokes and Abbie McManus in the first few minutes, before Mel Lawley’s turn and run produced a first chance at the other end but Issy Christiansen’s effort was straight at the goalkeeper.
Dzsenifer Marozsán rifled a 20-yard angled drive just wide of Karen Bardsley’s far post and midway through the half, Nikita Parris found Lawley in the box and she forced Sarah Bouhaddi to turn the ball over the crossbar but nothing came of the corner.
Former City star Lucy Bronze was booked for sending Parris flying, before Wendie Renard glanced a header over the City bar and Eugénie Le Sommer was inches wide when connecting with a Sema Bacha cross.
Jill Scott could not quite fashion a shot at goal after Christiansen won possession, as the first half ended goalless.
Early in the second half, Marozsán’s free-kick led to problems in the City box but Bardsley saved and shortly afterwards gathered Le Sommer’s half-volley following a misjudgement by Jennifer Beattie.
Bardsley was again called upon when Le Sommer exchanged passes with Marozsán, Bouhaddi next to make a save from Christiansen’s strike from outside the area.
From a Lyon corner. Bardsley had to be swift in diving on the ball inches from the line, under pressure from Ada Hegerberg’s challenge.
Man City had a good little spell which ended with Parris hooking well over the top but then in the last 8 minutes Stokes was needed to deny Marozsán a tap in from Hegerberg’s cross.
Camile Abily came off the bench and scuffed a clear chance for the visitors, before Bardsley did well to parry Amandine Henry’s header with Griedge M’Bock Bathy only able to find the side netting from the rebound.
The second leg is in the Stade de Lyon next Sunday at 1.45pm, with live coverage on the BBC Red Button.
Manchester City: 1 Karen Bardsley, 3 Demi Stokes, 5 Jennifer Beattie, 6 Steph Houghton (C), 7 Melissa Lawley (22 Claire Emslie, 87 mins), 8 Jill Scott, 11 Isobel Christiansen, 12 Georgia Stanway, 17 Nikita Parris, 23 Abbie McManus, 24 Keira Walsh
Unused Subs: 26 Ellie Roebuck, 2 Mie Jans, 4 Tessel Middag, 10 Nadia Nadim, 15 Julia Spetsmark, 16 Jane Ross
Olympique Lyonnais: 16 Sarah Bouhaddi, 3 Wendie Renard (C), 4 Selma Bacha, 7 Amel Majri (20 Delphine Cascarino, 67 mins), 9 Eugénie Le Sommer, 10 Dzsenifer Marozsán (23 Camille Abily, 82 mins), 14 Ada Hegerberg, 19 Shanice van de Sanden (11 Kheira Hamraoui, 46 mins), 22 Lucy Bronze, 26 Amandine Henry, 29 Griedge M’Bock Bathy
Unused Subs: 1 Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, 8 Jessica Houara-D’Hommeaux, 15 Morgan Brian, 21 Kadeisha Buchanan
