Barcelona retained the Girls’s Champions League as targets from Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas secured a 2-0 win over Lyon in Bilbao.
Sonia Bompastor – who is predicted to switch Emma Hayes as Chelsea supervisor – didn’t clinch the send-off she had hoped for as Lyon, the document eight-time European champions, suffered defeat in a Champions League closing for the primary time of their historical past.
Barcelona took the lead on 63 minutes courtesy of Bonmati’s intelligent run and end and, after substitute Ada Hegerberg missed a wonderful probability to ship the sport into extra-time, Putellas sealed victory from shut vary within the sixth minute of stoppage time.
The end result caps an unprecedented quadruple for Barcelona having already secured Liga F, the Copa de la Reina and the Spanish Tremendous Cup.
Barcelona had met Lyon 4 occasions beforehand within the Girls’s Champions League with the French aspect popping out on high every time.
Altering of the guard in European soccer?
Massive events name for large gamers. Lyon have been crestfallen in a bouncing Bilbao as Barcelona celebrated their third Girls’s Champions League. How becoming that it was targets from Bonmati and Putellas that secured this crown for a second straight season.
Is that this the altering of the guard in Europe in girls’s soccer? Lyon beat the Catalans within the closing in 2019 and 2022, in addition to profitable each quarter-final legs in 2018, however they bumped into a unique beast this time.
Caroline Graham Hansen beneath strain from Selma Bacha
This might nicely be the second when Barcelona – who ended Chelsea’s hopes within the final 4 – really consider they’ll catch Lyon’s eight titles.
Bompastor’s aspect beat French rivals Paris Saint-Germain to succeed in the ultimate, however they have been flat for giant spells, drowned out and outnumbered by their counterparts in northern Spain.
In entrance of a document crowd of fifty,827, the victory provides to Barcelona’s latest dominance within the girls’s sport. They have been enjoying of their fourth consecutive Girls’s Champions League closing, having gained it final yr and in 2021.
Mariona Caldentey fights for the ball with Wendie Renard
The ladies’s triumph comes amid continued turmoil within the males’s crew, and it’s a success which comes swiftly on the heels of Spain’s nationwide triumphs final yr within the Girls’s World Cup and the inaugural Girls’s Nations League.
Barcelona survived an early scare when Lucy Bronze virtually steered the ball into her personal internet within the 14th minute, however as a substitute it struck the woodwork and bounced harmlessly away.
On the different finish, Lyon’s Vanessa Gilles needed to clear the ball off the road when a Mariona Caldentey shot that had been saved ricocheted goalwards and Caroline Graham Hansen additionally went near scoring as the primary half completed 0-0.
Catalina Coll dives to divert a Lyon shot astray
Barca progressively acquired extra of a grip on the sport and Bonmati, who gained the Ballon d’Or and FIFA Finest Girls’s Participant award for 2023, broke the impasse simply after the hour-mark with a shot from a decent angle which deflected off Lyon’s Gilles previous goalkeeper Christiane Endler.
Lyon despatched on Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg however the competitors’s document goalscorer, who has been troubled by harm for a lot of the season, was unable to search out the online regardless of a few first rate possibilities.
As a substitute, Putellas, who had been combating a persistent knee drawback, got here off the bench and netted a stoppage-time purpose to seal Barcelona’s win.
Giraldez: Considered one of finest days of my life
Barcelona are solely the fourth aspect to retain the title
Barcelona boss Jonatan Giraldez advised DAZN:
“It was an incredible game. I am really happy, it’s one of the best days of my life for sure.
“We did a tremendous job. I’m very happy with all of them. After I determined in December to depart the crew on the finish of the season, folks criticised the choice that possibly the efficiency of the crew goes down. We confirmed immediately the wonderful efficiency we’ve and deserved the victory.”
On Alexia Putellas’ goal: “Everybody did a tremendous job. Alexia solely performed 5 – 6 minutes however there are different gamers as nicely. This can be a particular second for them.”
On if he will miss the Women’s Champions League when he moves to Washington Spirit: “It was the most effective factor that would occur immediately with me, my household, virtually 40 folks coming from Galicia. It’s a particular second and I’ll get pleasure from it.”
Bronze: Putellas is the Queen of Barcelona
Barcelona’s crew captain Putellas lifts the trophy
Barcelona’s Lucy Bronze advised DAZN:
“We knew that that’s what we needed, to be a club to make history. It’s not easy, it’s hard to win it once. To win it back to back, Lyon showed how difficult it is and this team has finally done that. We go down in history as one of the best teams in Europe.”
Caroline Graham Hansen and Selma Bacha compete
On Alexia Putellas: “She’s the captain of the team, she’s the Queen of Barcelona for a reason. She’s always so confident in the team and showed today why she is a back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner.
“She’s acquired the standard to do this within the final minute of the Champions League closing once we have been up in opposition to it on the finish and simply sealed the win for us. It was wonderful.”
On the celebrations: “All of our household shall be staying round. The a whole lot of family and friends shall be celebrating tonight. We have gained all of it so we have lots to have fun.”
Van de Donk: Nobody likes to lose a final
Lyon suffered a maiden Champions League closing loss
Lyon’s Danielle van de Donk advised DAZN:
“I’m very emotional. Nobody likes to lose a final and we were here to win it. It’s a shame we didn’t create enough. Barcelona deserved the win but I’m proud of my team, we gave it our all.”
On her and Lindsey Horan’s diminished possibilities: “I play more as a 10 and Linsey as bit more as a six. We were a bit low in the midfield so couldn’t get the press right and that is usually our strength.
“Credit score to Barcelona, they did wonderful. I want we may have pressed them a bit extra, I feel that would have made a distinction.”
Putellas brings unbridled joy to Barcelona
Alexia Putellas got here off the bench to seal the victory
Whereas Hayes had hoped to conclude her 12 years at Chelsea with victory on this closing – the one trophy that eluded the brand new United States supervisor – earlier than her transfer throughout the pond, no one may begrudge Putellas placing the seal on Barcelona’s success.
Two years in the past, she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and missed out on Euro 2022, however was a part of the Spain squad that lifted the World Cup final summer season, and 4 days in the past signed a brand new deal that may maintain the enormously widespread participant within the Catalonian capital for 2 extra years.
It was a rousing ovation that greeted the 30-year-old when she stepped out onto the pitch within the third minute of stoppage time, a sound rapidly upgraded to a roar when she discovered the again of the online three minutes later to cap off the victory.
Lyon will mirror on how they should have taken the lead when captain Wendie Renard couldn’t put the crowning glory on Lindsey Horan’s intelligent flicked supply after the restart.
However with England midfielder Keira Walsh and a very in-form Bronze pulling the strings, this maiden quadruple for the Catalans was well-merited.
What’s subsequent?
The 2023/24 season has reached its conclusion however planning has already began for the brand new marketing campaign.
A number of Premier League sides have confirmed pre-season friendlies forward of the 2024/25 time period, which kicks off on the weekend of August 17/18, whereas others have given contemporary kits an early airing.
The home season begins the earlier weekend and marks the launch of Sky Sports activities +, giving extra option to sports activities followers by way of reside streams and a brand new devoted channel, at no further price. In a broadcasting first, each sport within the Championship, League One and League Two shall be streamed reside on the opening weekend of the 2024/25 EFL season.
Stand by for an additional busy summer season within the switch window – golf equipment can do enterprise from June 14 till August 30 and the Sky Sports activities Switch Centre will maintain you posted with all the newest information and rumours.
Euro 2024 is simply weeks away, too. Maintain monitor of England’s Euro fixtures, take a look at the full match schedule in Germany and be a part of us on skysports.com
