Chelsea Still Alive in Women's Champions League Semi Final After Erin Cuthbert Away Goal

Chelsea kept their chances of reaching a first ever UEFA Women's Champions League final alive after Scottish midfielder Erin Cuthbert bagged an away goal as the

Chelsea kept their chances of reaching a first ever UEFA Women's Champions League final alive after Scottish midfielder Erin Cuthbert bagged an away goal as the reigning English champions lost 2-1 against holders Lyon in the semi final first leg in France on Sunday.

The Blues have reached the last four of the competition two years in a row and will be buoyed by the fact that Cuthbert was able to halve the aggregate deficit against a Lyon team that has won the Champions League in each of the last three seasons, and five times since 2011.

Just when we needed it! 🙌@ErinCuthbert_'s goal could be crucial for us in this semi-final! #OLCFC pic.twitter.com/SroU3OAgCy

— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) April 21, 2019

Chelsea went a goal down when Magda Eriksson scored an unfortunate second own goal in as many games. Lyon's lead was then doubled when Dzsenifer Maroszan whipped the ball in from a corner and Amandine Henry got the faintest of touches to flick it in.

What will give Chelsea hope ahead of the return home leg at Kingsmeadow next Sunday is that they had other chances to score. Fran Kirby had a penalty saved on the stroke of half-time, for example, while Maren Mjelde also tested Lyon goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi.

Cuthbert converted with just under 20 minutes remaining and it gave Chelsea a platform to end the game strongly against a Lyon side featuring Women's Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg.

#UWCL record😍

The crowd of 2⃣2⃣9⃣1⃣1⃣ at @GroupamaStadium for @OLfeminin v @ChelseaFCW is the biggest ever for any match in the competition other than a final🙌🙌🙌🙌 pic.twitter.com/O26eAvDDPO

— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) April 21, 2019

It may be easier said than done, but a 1-0 win at home next weekend would send Chelsea through to the final in Budapest on 18 May.

Elsewhere in Europe, Barcelona took a huge step towards reaching their first ever Champions League final after recording a 1-0 away win over Bayern Munich.

The solitary away goal came courtesy of French midfielder Kheira Hamraoui and leaves Barça simply needing to avoid defeat back home in Catalonia next week to secure their passage to Budapest.

⚽💥 @kheirahamraoui 👏👏👏 #UWCL pic.twitter.com/ZjoT8PzAIj

— FC Barcelona Femení (@FCBfemeni) April 21, 2019

A testament to the growing strength of women's football at club in Europe, the Champions League duopoly enjoyed by French and German teams is now under serious threat this season.

Only one non-French or German club has reached the Women's Champions League final in the last 10 years. That was Swedish side Tyreso in 2014, with every other final 2010 a France versus Germany contest, or an all French affair in 2017 when Lyon beat Paris Saint-Germain.

The last time a team not from France or Germany won Europe's elite women's club competition was all the way back in 2007, when Arsenal lifted was then known as the UEFA Women's Cup.