Home UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WOMEN UWCL Barcelona Thrash Lyon to Claim Fourth Champions League Crown

Barcelona Thrash Lyon to Claim Fourth Champions League Crown

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Barcelona Vs Lyon
Barcelona crush Lyon in Champions League final
 

Barcelona beat Lyon 4-0 in Oslo to claim their fourth European title. Pajor broke the deadlock and scored again, while Paralluelo added a late brace in a dominant second-half display.


“I'm so happy because it has been a tough one for me, different for me. I have learned a lot also, but ending the season...”


Ewa Pajor and Salma Paralluelo each scored two second-half goals as Barcelona dominated Lyon 4-0 in the Women’s Champions League final on Saturday. The win gave Barcelona 
their fourth European title.


The match stayed goalless until the 55th minute when Pajor broke the deadlock. After that, Barcelona took control and ran away with the game at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo.


Polish striker Ewa Pajor put the disappointment of five previous final defeats behind her by scoring Barcelona’s second goal in the 69th minute. That left Lyon with too much ground to make up.


Pajor had been on the losing side in four Champions League finals with Wolfsburg before joining Barcelona in 2024. She also featured in their 1-0 loss to Arsenal in Lisbon last season.


Spain World Cup winner Salma Paralluelo then added two late goals as Lyon collapsed. The result highlighted the gap between the two leading clubs in women’s football over the last decade.


The emphatic victory confirmed that Barcelona have surpassed Lyon as the dominant force in recent years. It was their fourth title, all won in the last six seasons. Only Lyon have won more overall, with eight titles to their name.


Barcelona’s European triumph capped off a clean sweep of domestic trophies in Spain. The Catalans also brought reigning Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati on as a second-half substitute, marking her return after recovering from a broken leg.


“Finishing the season like this, it's amazing,” Bonmati said.


“I'm so happy because it has been a tough one for me, different for me. I have learned a lot also, but ending the season and having the opportunity to play a little bit and helping the team, for me, I'm so happy.”


This was Barcelona’s sixth consecutive Champions League final and their seventh appearance in the last eight seasons.


They had already beaten Lyon 2-0 in the 2024 final, with goals from Bonmati and Alexia Putellas. Putellas wore the captain’s armband in this match in what could be her final appearance for the club, as her contract has now expired.


The two clubs have now met in the final four times. Lyon won in 2019 during their run of five straight titles and again in 2022. That 2022 win remains the only time they have lifted the trophy in the last six editions.


“We really wanted to have the first goal of the game. We didn't get that, and in the second half, they are so dangerous in the transitions, so when they get the first goal, it makes it difficult, because the dynamic changes,” said Ingrid Enge, Lyon's Norwegian ex-Barcelona defender.




Ada Hegerberg scored a hat-trick in the 2019 final and found the net again three years later. On this occasion, the competition’s all-time leading scorer looked a shadow of her former self. The match also marked a homecoming for the Norwegian former Ballon d’Or winner.



Lyon’s Focus Shifts to Domestic Final

Lyon will now turn their attention to a French title decider against Paris FC next weekend. They fell short in Europe after beating reigning champions Arsenal in the semi-finals.


Lyon thought they had taken an early lead in front of 24,258 fans under the evening sun. Lindsey Heaps scored from the rebound after Cata Coll saved a Wendie Renard header. The goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.


Barcelona had a chance to score soon after when a mix-up between Renard and goalkeeper Christiane Endler left Pajor with an open goal. She tried a lob from outside the area, but the ball hit the side-netting.


Patri Guijarro started the move with a driving run and played the ball to Pajor. Pajor controlled it, took one touch to steady herself, and fired it home.


Coll pushed a Vicki Becho shot around the post as Lyon pushed for an equalizer. Barcelona instead extended their lead just after the hour mark in the second half.

 



Lyon failed to clear the ball inside their box, and Paralluelo cut it back from the byline for Pajor to finish.


Substitute Tabitha Chawinga could not beat Coll when through on goal, which summed up Lyon’s night. Paralluelo then added two late goals to seal an emphatic win.


Her superb rising strike from distance in the 90th minute was the standout goal of the match. She then ran through to make it 4-0 in stoppage time.





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