UWCL: Lyon stars Sara Däbritz and Laura Benkarth prepare to face former side Bayern Munich | OneFootball

French giants Lyon are the UEFA Women’s Champions League’s (UWCL) most successful team of all time, and arguably the biggest in women’s football. They must now take down German powerhouses Bayern Munich if they want to proceed to the next round.

The eight-time champions have not won the illustrious competition since 2022. As Lyon look to break Barcelona’s winning streak, duo Sara Däbritz and Laura Benkarth spoke to Her Football Hub ahead of their quarter-final clash with Bayern Munich.

Both players spent significant parts of their career with their upcoming opponents. Däbritz scored more than 30 league goals across 80 games, while talented goalkeeper Benkarth spent five years with the German giants.

“That place is really special. I love to play them, I love the girls and the team. It’s just that I’m happy to meet the team again in that environment,” Benkarth said of Bayern Munich ahead of their meeting with Lyon in March.

UWCL title is the main target for Lyon stars

With Däbritz having won almost every single competition she has played in, the pacy midfielder didn’t hold back when admitting the importance of the tournament to her personally. After signing for Lyon in June 2022, she missed the UWCL-winning season. Barcelona have won the title back-to-back since then and Lyon will be hoping to reclaim their crown.

“It would be a big dream of mine to come true. There are so many big games ahead of us though. We have to beat Bayern and then the next rounds… but honestly, yes that’s the dream.”

MAY 21: Olympique Lyonnais players celebrate with the UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

Lyon would compound their grip on history if they were to secure the UWCL title for a ninth time. The French giants have been challenged for the ‘best club in Europe’ label by Barcelona in recent years, but the current Lyon squad are more than capable of reclaiming that tagline.

A German perspective on the Frauen-Bundesliga

The current state of Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga is the healthiest it’s ever been. Just five points separate the top four in the league, with underdogs Eintracht Frankfurt leading the way, hotly chased by Bayern Munich, VfL Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen.

“It’s so exciting to see. It’s getting more and more tightly contested over there and it’s nice to see from the outside as a native,” Däbritz said. There’s no guessing who will eventually lift the Bundesliga title at this point, but it’s sure to go down as one of the most exciting seasons in recent years in Germany.

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