Barcelona finally beats Lyon and retains Women’s Champions League crown

With a overcome the rival it may by no means beat, Barcelona made it clear who’s answerable for girls’s soccer.

Barcelona ended its dropping streak in opposition to the sport’s most profitable membership on Saturday, beating Lyon 2-0 to clinch its third Women’s Champions League title in 4 years.

World participant of the 12 months Aitana Bonmatí scored within the second half and former world participant Alexia Putellas added a second deep in stoppage time for defending champion Barcelona in entrance of a document crowd of fifty,827 for a closing.

“This workforce has made historical past. With every passing 12 months we simply need extra,” said Bonmatí, the player of the match. “The first time we have beaten Lyon, and to do it like this in a final, winning back-to-back Champions League titles … this team deserved it.”

Barcelona lost the two previous finals it played against the French side and all four of its previous matches against Lyon, which was seeking a record-extending ninth European trophy.

“The actuality is that Barcelona has taken two consecutive titles and their dynamic is extraordinarily optimistic, not solely concerning outcomes but in addition in regards to the high quality of the sport and the quantity of help that they’ve,” Lyon coach Sonia Bompastor mentioned. “The other clubs, not only Lyon, have to be motivated by that and try to find ways to beat that.”

Victory gave Barcelona a quadruple of trophies: Champions league, Spanish league, Copa de la Reina and the Spanish Super Cup.

“This is what we worked so hard for,” mentioned Putellas, who struggled to get well her outstanding position since coming back from a critical leg damage and lately signed a contract extension by way of 2026. “We are super happy to have won these four titles.”

Barcelona added to its Women’s Champions League titles in 2021 and 2023 in its fourth consecutive closing.

“We knew we needed to be a club that made history,” Barcelona defender Lucy Bronze mentioned. “It’s not easy, it’s hard to win it once, but to do it back to back, Lyon showed how difficult it is. This team’s finally done that. We go down in history as one of the best teams in Europe.”

The girls’s triumph comes amid continued turmoil within the males’s workforce, which hasn’t succeeded in Europe lately and noticed participant nice Xavi Hernández depart because the coach on Saturday. Club president Joan Laporta, who sacked Xavi, celebrated the title with the ladies on the medal ceremony.

Former Barcelona participant Lionel Messi congratulated the ladies’s facet on Instagram.

Their success follows Spain’s triumphs final 12 months within the Women’s World Cup and the inaugural Women’s Nations League.

It felt like a house match for Barcelona as its followers occupied a lot of the seats at San Mames Stadium in Basque Country.

It was a good match from the beginning, with neither workforce creating many vital scoring alternatives. Lyon hit the woodwork and goalkeeper Christiane Endler made straightforward saves on the different finish.

Lyon was in a position to maintain Bonmatí in verify throughout a lot of the match, however she broke by way of with the opening purpose with a pleasant run into the realm earlier than firing a left-footed shot previous Endler within the 63rd minute. The ball deflected off the leg of Lyon defender Vanessa Gilles.

Putellas got here off the bench in stoppage time and scored a couple of moments later. She celebrated by taking off her jersey and operating towards the followers.

Bompastor, the primary lady to win the Women’s Champions League as a participant and coach, was attempting to develop into the primary lady to win two titles as a coach.

Lyon was enjoying in its eleventh closing in 15 seasons, and was in search of its first title because it beat Barcelona within the 2022 closing. The French membership additionally defeated Barcelona within the 2019 closing. It received 5 titles in a row from 2016-20.

“I’m very emotional. No one likes to lose a final. You’re here to win it,” Lyon defender Danielle van de Donk said. “It’s a shame you don’t create enough. Barcelona overtook the game, and they kind of deserved the win. I’m still very proud of my team. We gave it our all. We have some regrets, of course, but hopefully next year we’re back again.”

Lyon star striker Ada Hegerberg, who had been listed as uncertain due to a muscle damage, solely bought into the ultimate within the 81st.

Barcelona turned the third membership with three Women’s Champions League titles, behind the eight of Lyon and the 4 of Eintracht Frankfurt.

Barcelona coach Jonatan Giráldez was in his closing match earlier than becoming a member of U.S. membership Washington Spirit.

“When I decided in December to leave at the end of the season, people thought the team’s performances might dip,” he mentioned. “We confirmed that wasn’t the case at the moment. An superb efficiency, and a deserved victory.”