Barcelona will face OL Lyonnes in the final of the Women’s Champions League. The match in Oslo will be the fourth time in eight seasons that these two teams have contested the European title. It is the first such meeting since Lyon was rebranded by its owner, Michele Kang.
A Clash of European Footballing Titans
Nadine Kessler, UEFA’s director of women’s football, called the two teams “probably the two best teams of all time”. Both teams are undefeated in domestic competitions this season.
Barcelona are making their sixth consecutive final appearance, and their seventh in eight years. This era for the club has been marked by its great attacking midfielders Aitana Bonmatí and Alèxia Putellas.
Lyon still have talismanic players such as Wendie Renard and Ada Hegerberg. Hegerberg scored a hat-trick when Lyon defeated Barcelona 4-1 in the 2019 final.
Intrigue on the Sidelines
There is added intrigue between the two teams due to connections between the managers. Lyon’s coach, Jonatan Giráldez, previously won two Champions League titles with Barcelona. The current Barcelona coach, Pere Romeu, was among Giráldez’s assistants at that time.
Barcelona’s Road to the Final
Barcelona returns to the final a year after Arsenal denied them a hoped-for treble with a 1-0 victory. The season began with some turbulence, as squad cuts were imposed as part of wider financial issues. These cuts were intended to help the club meet the limits set by the men’s La Liga.
On the pitch, the team has been dominant. They have already won the Spanish league title with two games to spare. Their record so far is 28 games played, 27 won, 1 lost, with a goal difference of +118. The only match Barcelona has lost all season was a 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad in November.
Romeu’s team has reached the Champions League final after leading the league phase standings and then eliminating Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Barcelona are favourites to win a fourth European title, adding to those won in 2021, 2023 and 2024. They finally defeated Lyon 2-0 in 2024.
Lyon’s Perspective
This first season with coach Giráldez and the name OL Lyonnes has gone well for owner Michele Kang.
- Lyon finished undefeated at the top of the league standings in the regular season.
- They won both domestic cups.
All that remains is the final in Oslo. They also have a French league playoff final at home next Friday against Paris FC.
Lyon’s only defeats all season came in the away legs of the Champions League knockout rounds.