- Secure historic quadruple titles
FC Barcelona claimed their fourth UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) title on Saturday evening, as two goals apiece from Ewa Pajor and Salma Paralluelo saw the Catalans achieving a commanding 4-0 victory over eight-time winners Olympique Lyonnais in the final in Oslo.
It was Pajor’s sixth final, with her having lost the previous five. But the Poland international finally got her hands on that UWCL trophy this year, grabbing the headlines in the process.
It was an unfortunate evening Lyon as they failed to take advantage of strong start. The French side, coached by former Barca boss Jonatan Giraldez, started the game stronger in the Norwegian capital and thought they had taken the lead after just 14 minutes when Lindsey Heaps reacted quickest in the box to fire home the rebound of Wendie Renard’s saved header.
However, VAR’s intervention ruled out the goal, with the American-born player having strayed offside before finding the back of the net.
Parrying Renard’s early strike was just the opening act for Keeper Cata Coll’s shot-stopping masterclass. Her masterpiece save however, came right before halftime. Bacha unleashed a venomous, curving free-kick that sailed perfectly over the Barca wall, but Coll defied gravity, springing across her line for a breathtaking, highlight-reel parry that took danger away
Lyon really came out swinging in a blistering first half, disrupting Barca’s rhythm with a relentless, high-octane press. But the Catalans refused to bulge and out of nowhere, Alexia Putellas unleashed a rocket that whistled past the post, followed immediately by Ewa Pajor’s daring chip against Christiane Endler that just missed the mark.
It was pure adrenaline, a sign of the relentless firepower the Spanish champions were about to completely unleash after the break. And Barca sure did just that, getting their reward about 10 minutes into the second half.
Stepping up their act, Pajor broke the deadlock after Patri Guijarro had picked up a loose ball in her own half and drove forward brilliantly to lead the attack. She calmly picked out the Poland international who clinically converted after a great first touch.
Trying to shift the momentum, Lyon clawed for a lifeline. They came agonizingly close on two occasions. First, when Coll dove low to tip Vicki Becho’s fierce strike around the post, and again when substitute Tabitha Chawinga broke clean through on goal, only to be denied by the immovable goalkeeper.
Sandwiching these missed chances was Pajor’s lethal second strike. Arriving 21 minutes from time, it built a fortress of a lead that Lyon simply could not breach.
Lyon’s defense collapsed. Caught completely cold, they watched Salma Paralluelo react quickest at the back post to keep Esmee Brugts’ cross alive. She served it on a silver platter for Pajor to hammer home her second, mathematically sealing her destiny with the Champions League trophy.
Paralluelo put the icing on the cake in the 90th minute, firing an absolute rocket into the top corner to cap off a wonderful day for Barcelona, and there was time for one more, too.
As Lyon pushed desperately for any glimmer of hope in stoppage time, the Catalans broke away and it was Paralluelo again who converted, picked out by Pajor on the counter to coolly slot the ball beyond Endler.
Redemption For Barca
After putting on a disappointing display in the Champions League final last year, losing 1-0 to Arsenal, this was a fantastic response from Barca as they sealed a remarkable quadruple.
Coming into this season, there were lots of doubts around Barcelona given the existing financial restraints that meant they only signed one first-team player in the summer transfer window, despite the departure of five players from the club.
Outgunned in squad depth and battered by injuries, Barcelona faced their ultimate test in this final. With midfield maestro Aitana Bonmatí relegated to the bench following a grueling five-month injury, the stakes skyrocketed.
It was sink or swim for Barça’s elite. While veterans like Pajor and Putellas delivered, the spotlight belonged to the rising stars. Teenager Clara Serrajordi stepped into the Oslo pressure cooker like a seasoned veteran, while young Aicha Camara arrived off the bench to slam the door shut and secure the championship.
After clinching the Liga F title, the Supercopa de Espana and, most recently, the Copa de la Reina, the Champions League was the last box for Barca to tick and they did so brilliantly.
Meanwhile, it’s a disappointment for Lyon, who have won this competition more often than any club in UWCL history, but have now gone four years without lifting the trophy. There was a point at which some thought OL would be overtaken as other major clubs rose to the top of the women’s game, like Barca, but they have remained extremely relevant and were the pick to win this title for many before the season began, a take that was repeatedly justified when Lyon took to the pitch throughout the campaign.
In their first season under Giraldez, they have been excellent and are one win away from a domestic treble.
Barcelona’s clinical finishing and Coll’s brilliance in between the post handed them the win over OL in a much tighter match than the scoreline suggests.
OL must quickly rebound for Friday’s Première Ligue final against Paris FC as they look to retain their status as French champions.
For Barca, the party can continue. Despite having two more league games left, the title has already been wrapped up in a season that has brought with it an incredible four trophies.
