Lyonnes secured a dominant 3-0 victory over St. Pölten in Wednesday's Women's Champions League match, highlighted by a stunning long-range goal from U.S. international Lily Yohannes. The 18-year-old Yohannes, making her Champions League debut for Lyonnes, capped the scoring with a spectacular strike from 57 yards out.
The American prodigy, who developed through Ajax's youth system, made history in November 2023 by becoming the youngest player to start a Women's Champions League group stage match at just 16. Her impressive performances in the Netherlands led to a high-profile transfer to eight-time Champions League winners Lyonnes this past summer.
Yohannes's audacious goal came in the 52nd minute, with Lyonnes already leading 2-0. Spotting St. Pölten's goalkeeper Carina Schlüter slightly off her line, Yohannes unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from near the center circle that sailed over Schlüter's head and dipped perfectly under the crossbar. The goal effectively sealed the victory for Lyonnes and showcased Yohannes's incredible talent and vision.
Prior to Yohannes's stunning goal, Jule Brand opened the scoring for Lyonnes just before the half-hour mark, tapping in a cross from Vicki Becho to complete a fluent team move. Captain Ada Hegerberg, the competition's all-time leading scorer, then headed in the second goal just seconds before halftime, increasing her impressive tally to 67.
Lyonnes dominated the match, amassing an impressive 44 attempts on goal compared to St. Pölten's six. Lyonnes coach Jonatan Giráldez opted for a completely different starting eleven from the team that defeated defending champion Arsenal 2-1 in the first round. St. Pölten, on the other hand, suffered a heavy 6-0 defeat to Atleti in their previous match.
In other Women's Champions League action, Wolfsburg secured a late 2-1 victory over Vålerenga, with Janina Minge scoring a penalty deep into stoppage time. Lineth Beerensteyn also scored for Wolfsburg, capitalizing on a defensive error, while Sara Hørte equalized for Vålerenga.
The Women's Champions League has adopted a new format this season, featuring an 18-team league phase that will conclude in December. The teams finishing in the top four will automatically advance to the quarterfinals, while those ranked fifth to twelfth will compete in a knockout playoff round. The bottom six teams will be eliminated from the competition.
