Lyon: What Women's Champions League records do they hold?
Thursday, November 21, 2024
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Lyon are the dominant team in competition history. See all the benchmarks they have set.
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It's a journey that started in August 2007 in front of around 100 people in a qualifying round match in North Macedonia, and one that has taken the UEFA Women's Champions League by storm.
In October 2019, Lyon became the first club to play 100 matches in UEFA women's club competition, a 4-0 win away to Fortuna Hjørring in the first leg of the round of 16. From that opening game in what was then known as the UEFA Women's Cup – a 12-0 defeat of Slovakia's Slovan Duslo Šala in Strumica – they may not have improved on their margin of victory, but they have gone on to claim most of the club records in the competition.
Chief among those is their unparalleled eight titles, including the run of five in a row from 2016 to 2020 which matched Real Madrid's men's record from the first years of the European Cup. Paco Gento was in that team; his shared record of six European club titles has been overtaken by multiple Lyon players.
Lyon put another feather in their cap in 2021 when Melvine Malard scored the first-ever goal in the newly introduced group stage. And, the following year, Wendie Renard added to the accolades as she reached 100 competition appearances, all for Lyon, before she and OL went on to contest their tenth final and returned to the European summit.
On Matchday 4 of the 2022/23 competition, Lyon added yet another record, the 4-0 home defeat of Zürich making them the first club to win 100 UEFA Women's Champions League games. In 2024/25, they established one of the few benchmarks they were previously missing, reaching their 16th quarter-final to surpass Arsenal's tally – only to be swiftly matched by the Gunners.
Lyon in UEFA Women's Cup/UEFA Women's Champions League
First game: Qualifying round vs Slovan Duslo Šala, 9 August 2007, W12-0
First team: Pons; Renard, Georges, Bompastor, Abily, Nécib, Lepailleur, Henry (Thomis 46), Cruz Traña (Brétigny 53), Simone (Faye-Chellali 55), Kátia
First goalscorer: Camille Abily (7 minutes)
Time before first goal conceded: 530 minutes (in 2-1 win against Sparta Praha, second qualifying round, Stade de Gerland)
First holders knocked out: Arsenal, 2007/08 quarter-finals
First loss over 90 minutes: 1-3 vs Duisburg (a), 2008/09 semi-final second leg (17th game)
First elimination before semi-finals: 2013/14 round of 16 vs Turbine Potsdam (7th campaign)
Final wins: 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022
Other final appearances: 2010, 2013, 2024
All Lyon's competition records
Most titles: 8
Most consecutive titles: 5
Most final appearances: 11
Most consecutive final appearances: 5
Most semi-final appearances: 13
Most quarter-final appearances: 16 (equal with Arsenal)
Most games played: 146
Most games won: 114
Most goals scored: 500
Perfect season: 7 wins from 7 games in 2019/20 (matching Umeå's perfect 9 wins from 9 games in 2003/04)
Most games played in a season: 13 (2021/22)
Most games won in a season: 11 (2021/22)
Longest unbeaten run: 31 games
Most appearances by player: Wendie Renard 120
Most goals by player for single club: Ada Hegerberg 60
Most goals by player in single season: Ada Hegerberg 15 (2017/18)
Most final wins by individual player: Wendie Renard, Eugénie Le Sommer 8
Most final appearances by individual player: Wendie Renard 11
Most match wins by individual player: Wendie Renard 91
Record group stage away win/Joint-record group stage win: 9-0 vs Slavia Praha (2023/24)
Records they don't hold
Most participations: KÍ Klaksvík, SFK 2000 Sarajevo 22 (Lyon 18)
Most consecutive participations: SFK 2000 Sarajevo 22 (Lyon 18)
Most consecutive match wins: Umeå 14 (Lyon 13)
Most match wins by a coach: Ralf Kellermann 48 (Wolfsburg)
Most goals in single season: 45 (Wolfsburg 2013/14)
Record win: Apollon 21-0 Ada Velipojë (2012/13 qualifying round)
Most goals by player in single game: Milena Nikolić (ŽFK Spartak) 8 vs SS-11 Goliador-Real (2014/15 qualifying round)
Records up to 21 November 2024