Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas scored to earn Barcelona their third Women’s Champions League trophy, securing a 2-0 victory over eight-time winners Lyon on Saturday. The reigning champions had never beaten the French giants, losing in the 2019 and 2022 finals against them, but they finally managed to achieve a spectacular quadruple in Bilbao this season in coach Jonatan Giraldez’s last match in charge. Bonmati struck in the 63rd minute and substitute Putellas finished the job in stoppage time to avenge Barcelona’s previous defeats to Sonia Bompastor’s side.
Securing their third Champions League trophy in five final matches in the last six seasons, Barcelona demonstrated that they are the new powerhouse of women’s football.
Barça’s stars insisted they were capable of beating Lyon this time, adding experience and mental strength to their undoubted talent, and that proved at a packed San Mames.
Supported by the vast majority of a record crowd of 51,000 people at the Women’s Champions League final, Bonmati and her team completed one of the few outstanding challenges they had left.
“It’s the first time we’ve beaten Lyon, I’m proud of the team and we know that with the fans we have we can’t fail,” Bonmati told DAZN.
“What we are experiencing as a team is incredible, I am very lucky… to see that we are creating this for so many people, the historic amount of fans we have brought, is the greatest pride I have felt. , I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Giraldez brought Mariona Caldentey into attack and moved Fridolina Rolfo to left-back, leaving Ona Batlle on the bench alongside two-time Ballon d’Or winner Putellas.
Lyon also left Ada Hegerberg on the bench, with the competition’s all-time top scorer struggling to regain fitness after injury.
Lucy Bronze deflected a ball towards her own post and Lyon’s imposing captain, Wendie Renard, hit the outside of the post as Barcelona suffered from some early jitters.
After giving up four half-time goals in the 2019 final and three in 2022, this time the Catalans struggled to stay together at the back.
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Barça threatened more and more on the other side. Patri Guijarro, who scored twice in last year’s final against Wolfsburg, opened the scoring for his first big chance after half an hour.
Christiane Endler saved the shot from an angle and Selma Bacha tipped the ball off the line after it had rebounded into the goal.
Caroline Graham Hansen, in superb form this season, gave left-back Bacha a difficult time and made 11-time finalist Renard retreat in fear near the end of the first half but dragged her shot wide.
Barcelona made their quality count after the hour when Bonmati put them ahead.
The Ballon d’Or winner was quiet but arrived at the right time to receive a clever pass from Caldentey and burst into the box.
Bonmati’s low shot deflected off Vanessa Gilles and looped over the defenseless Endler for her sixth and most crucial goal of the tournament.
Champions League top scorer Kadidiatou Diani bowed agonizingly for Lyon as Bompastor’s side tried to fight back. Hegerberg headed off target and Lyon’s chances dwindled.
Finally, Putellas, who came on as a late substitute, donned the captain’s armband and resolved the game by firing into the top corner, allowing Barcelona’s celebrations to begin early.
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