Lyon manager Sonia Bompastor said their defeat to Chelsea in the Women's Champions League left her with a feeling of injustice.
The French side, who are the European cup holders, were seconds away from the semi-finals after taking the lead in extra-time, following a 1-1 draw on aggregate. Sara Dabritz gave them the lead after finding space in the box with ten minutes to play but that was not the end of the drama.
Lauren James was deemed to have been brought down in the box with only seconds remaining by Vicki Becho. The referee initially waved away the contact, but VAR intervened leading to an on-field review at the monitor.
After a lengthy delay, the spot-kick was given and Maren Mjelde scored to send the tie to a penalty shootout, where Chelsea eventually prevailed 4-3, despite James missing. And Lyon manager Bompastor said after the game she believed the eventual decision was incorrect and that her team felt "injustice" at the outcome of the tie.
"Disappointment is my feeling," said Bompastor. "Frustration, injustice as well. My girls played the game we wanted, stuck to the game plan, played with their hearts and their heads. We showed a lot more than in the first leg.
"The referee made the right decision live. She was then obliged by the VAR to go and look (at the pitchside monitor)
"We know from experience that once they've been called over, it's hard for them to go against what they originally thought. Chelsea were resorting to playing long balls into the box and hoping for a second ball.
"(Lauren) James had the opportunity, she fell, that’s cool, but I still feel it wasn’t a penalty and the wrong decision has been made overall."
Chelsea will now meet Barcelona in the semi-finals who beat them in the 2021 final, 4-0. Lyon will have to focus on domestic duties and currently lead title rivals PSG by one point with five games to play.
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