Carpenter ready to reclaim Women's Champions League title with Lyon

CommBank Matilda Ellie Carpenter was part of history over the weekend when her team Olympique Lyonnais took on Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes in front of a record-breaking 43,254 fans.

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Lyon defeated their French rivals  2-1 (agg: 5 - 3) sending them to their history-making tenth UEFA Women's Champions League Final.

"The atmosphere in Parc des Princes, being home for PSG, was quite incredible and probably the most vocal crowd that I've ever played in front of," Carpenter said of the largest crowd for a women's club match in France.

"Obviously all of the fans were going for PSG, so it was very loud, very lively. Playing in front of a record crowd was really exciting."


Even though it's technically her second Champions League final with the team, Carpenter says it feels like her first.

"It's very exciting to make my second Champions League final, it almost feels like my first because I joined the team late last season and didn't play, so this season it feels more real," she said.

Playing alongside legendary figures like Wendie Renard and Ada Hegerberg in a team that has been crowned European champions seven times is a thrill for the young defender.

"Playing alongside world-class players every day is really cool. It's very special to be a part of this team, they've done so much for the women's game and reaching their tenth final is amazing.

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"Wendie [Renard] just played her 100th cap in the Champions League, which is unheard of. You can see what kind of leader she is by the quality of her game and her scoring, so to be surrounded by players like her is amazing."

Carpenter and her Lyon teammates have their sights set on May 22, where they'll take on title-holders Barcelona for a shot at their record-making eighth crown.

"I'm really looking forward to the final in Turin. It's going to be a great game, Barcelona is a world-class team, we know what they're capable of and how they can play, but they're not unbeatable," she said.


"We have three weeks to prepare and we've got experience in the finals, so that's great for our team."

Lyon and Barcelona have met once previously in a UWCL, vying for the 2018-19 UEFA Women's Champions League title, with the French side coming out on top with a 4-1 win.  

Carpenter played in 11 out of 12 of Lyon's UWCL games this season, missing their quarter-final second leg against Juventus due to suspension. 

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This article was originally published on the CommBank Matildas website.
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