Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas on Saturday struck to earn Barcelona their third UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy, securing a 2-0 triumph over record eight-time winners Olympique Lyonnais.
The defending champions had never beaten the French giants, losing in the 2019 and 2022 finals against them, but finally succeeded in Bilbao to complete a spectacular quadruple this season in coach Jonatan Giraldez’s last match in charge.
Bonmati pounced after 63 minutes and substitute Putellas finished the job in stoppage-time to avenge Barcelona’s prior defeats by Sonia Bompastor’s side.
Photo: Reuters
Securing their third Champions League trophy from five final appearances across the past six seasons, Barcelona demonstrated that they are the new powerhouse of the women’s game.
It is “a dream day. It is difficult to explain with words the feeling I have now. It is a special moment,” Giraldez said. “It is one of happiest days of my life.”
Barca’s stars had insisted that this time they were capable of beating Lyon, adding experience and mental strength to their undoubted talent, and so it proved at a packed San Mames.
Backed by the vast majority of a 51,000 record crowd at a women’s Champions League final, Bonmati and her side completed one of the few challenges remaining to them.
“It’s the first time we’ve beaten Lyon. I’m proud of the team, and we know that with these fans we have, we can’t fail,” Bonmati told DAZN. “It’s incredible what we’re living through as a team, I’m so lucky ... to see we’re creating that for so many people, the historic amount of fans we’ve brought. It’s the proudest I’ve felt. I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
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