Lyon back on the throne – beat Barcelona in the final

No team has won more Champions League titles on the women’s side, and in the last final between the teams, 2019, Lyon had completely beaten Barcelona (4-1).

Still, almost all experts have agreed that it was Barcelona who was the big favorite before Saturday’s final at Juventus Stadium in Turin. In fact, many felt that the transfer of European women’s football to the throne took place already last year, when Barcelona took home the Champions League title for the first time while Lyon went out already in the quarter-finals.

But when the Finnish judge Lina Lehtovaara started the 2022 final, it was Lyon who immediately showed that the stripes are in place.

It did not even take seven minutes before experienced midfielder Amandine Henry with a powerful sliding tackle twisted the ball high up on Barcelona’s half of the field. The Frenchwoman got up quickly, took a few steps forward and then thundered up 1-0 in the far cross from a distance of 25 meters.

– I am incredibly happy with the goal, it gave us peace of mind in the match. It will forever be etched in my memory, says Henry according to AFP.

Close to 0-4 in the buttocks

Barcelona initially shook off the shock and went on the counterattack. Jennifer Hermoso immediately had a couple of really good chances to equalize, among other things nicely played by the Swedish national team star Fridolina Rolfö, but without success.

Instead, the next cold soup came in the 23rd minute when Lyon offered another world-class goal.

Selma Bacha rushed forward along the left edge and her post at full speed, almost from the corner flag, was a display of both motor skills and good ball hits. The entry found Ada Hegerberg perfectly at the far post where the Norwegian was well placed and could nod in 2-0. It was Hegerberg’s 59th goal in his Champions League career, and her sixth in ten games this season.

Ada Hegerberg, left, celebrates her 2-0 goal.

When Lyon crushed Barcelona in the final in 2019, it was 4-0 already after the first half. For a while it was on its way to something similar this time.

Important reduction

Ten minutes after 2-0, it was 3-0. Irene Paredes was responsible for a headless clearance in her own penalty area which ended up right in the gap on Melvine Malard. She in turn poked the ball to Hegerberg who passed directly to Catarina Macario at the far post. The American could hardly miss the open goal from a few decimetres away.

Ada Hegerberg came close to leveling the score 36 minutes into the game, as he was set up with a through ball coming in from the left, but his shot hit the post.

Instead, Barcelona’s first half became a bit less of a nightmare when Alexia Putellas shaved in 1-3 with a few minutes left to play. Lyon’s Kadeisha Buchanan, who was substituted after Ellie Carpenter injured her knee early, slipped just as she was about to clear Caroline Graham Hansen’s post, giving Putella free rein.

Only the second loss

The second half was a duel between a tactically controlling Lyon and a Barcelona that with its star-studded offensive tried to tie up the opposing repository.

However, Patricia Guijarro did not manage to connect with it, as his team mates had hoped, and the ball went out. Guijarro saw that Lyon goalkeeper Christiane Endler stood far out and tried to shoot from the center circle. Endler did not make it back, but was saved by the crossbar.

After that, Lyon’s experienced team shut down the match completely and Barcelona basically did not manage to create any really hot reduction situations after Guijarro’s rib hit.

Fridolina Rolfö, four from the left among Barcelona’s players, had to settle for a second place in this year’s Champions League.

Fridolina Rolfö was replaced in the second half, and has to keep waiting for her first Champions League title.

It still became a Swedish champion. Goalkeeper Emma Holmgren has spent most of the season on the bench – including Saturday’s final – but can now call herself a Champions League winner.

Before the final, Barcelona had only lost one match of the entire season: the semi-final return in the Champions League against German Wolfsburg. It eventually became insignificant.

The second loss of the season is said to have hurt all the more.