OSLO, Norway (AP) — Barcelona and OL Lyonnes are both chasing a season sweep of four major trophies when they meet in the Women’s Champions League final Saturday.
The two dominant clubs in European women’s soccer over 15 years face each other for the fourth time in the past eight finals.
It is 2-1 in that head-to-head for Lyon which has a record eight European titles, including five straight through 2020, in the competition’s 25-year history.
Barcelona is in its seventh final in eight years, its sixth in a row, and is widely favored to win a fourth title.
That era started with a humbling 4-1 loss to Lyon in the 2019 final in Budapest.
“They were much, much better than us. I am humble enough to say that,” Barcelona’s two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alèxia Putellas recalled.
Lyon also won their title clash in 2022 and only in 2024 did Barcelona finally triumph against its biggest rival.
Lyon captain Wendie Renard is set to play in her 12th final of a remarkable career, since scoring in the French giant’s first title win in 2011.
The teams are coached by former colleagues at Barcelona. Jonatan Giráldez now coaches Lyon after winning two Women’s Champions League titles at Barcelona when Pere Romeu was one of his assistants.
“I feel privileged to face Barcelona as I’m grateful for the experience I had there and I wish them the best,” Giráldez said.
UEFA’s choice of Oslo to host the final has drawn some criticism from Barcelona.
Star player Aitana Bonmatí suggested the 28,000-seat Ullevaal Stadium was “a step back” for women’s soccer: a stadium too small in a city with too few direct flights.
Norway was defended as “the motherland” of women’s soccer in Europe by UEFA’s director of women’s football, Nadine Kessler. She played in three Champions League finals that each drew crowds of fewer than 20,000.
The Ullevaal is sold out Saturday, while one year ago Sporting Lisbon’s stadium was just three-quarters full with nearly 39,000 to watch Arsenal beat Barcelona 1-0.
Norway’s established stars — Barcelona’s Caroline Graham Hansen and Lyon's Ada Hegerberg — stood up for their national stadium Friday.
“The venue was decided a couple of years ago,” said Graham Hansen, who grew up in this neighborhood of Oslo, “and you didn’t take it for granted you would sell out the stadium.”
The game is “a once in a lifetime” opportunity for Norwegian soccer and to inspire young girls, Hegerberg said.
The 2027 final is in Warsaw at Poland’s national stadium, which can hold 56,000 for the biggest games.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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CA Is Burning said:
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TrueLocalGal said:
What an amazing story. There is always hope
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