May has been an exciting month for women’s soccer. Emma Hayes named her first roster as the head coach of the United States’ national team. Lynn Williams broke the NWSL goal-scoring record with 79, surpassing Sam Kerr’s record across all competitions. And Canadian soccer legend Christine Sinclair was honoured with her very own custom Barbie.
The action continues on Saturday, when Barcelona and Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) face off in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final in Bilbao. The Spanish title holders have their work cut out with the French heavyweights (and eight-time winners), but this isn’t the first time the two champions have met in the final. Just as in 2018 and 2022, two of the sport’s best soccer teams go head-to-head for the coveted trophy.
Read on for everything you need to know about the rematch, including players to watch, key storylines and more.
Did you know?
• The UWCL final kicks off on Saturday at noon ET / 9 a.m. PT.
• Barcelona is aiming for a second straight title — and a fourth final in a row.
• The Spanish giants hope to become the third club to win more than two UWCL titles after Frankfurt (four) and Lyon (eight).
• Lyon holds the record in this competition as it aims for an unprecedented ninth title. Lyon has also equalled Arsenal’s tally of making it to 15 quarterfinals.
• England’s Rebecca Welch will referee the final. In December, she became the first woman to referee a Premier League match.
Campaigns at a glance
Unsurprisingly, Barcelona breezed through its group stage, only dropping points at Benfica on Matchday 6 after already securing first place. In the quarterfinals, Brann tested Jonatan Giráldez’s side, but 20-year-old Salma Paralluelo’s 72nd-minute strike earned the Spaniards the first-leg win. In Leg 2, Caroline Graham Hansen put on a stellar performance, helping Barcelona seal the series 5-2 on aggregate. Things got interesting in the semifinals, when Chelsea FC ended Barcelona’s unbeaten record at home, but at Stamford Bridge in Leg 2, Aitana Bonmati showed why she won the Ballon d’Or with her precision, awareness and finishing ability to give her side a 2-0 win.
Lyon had a commanding start to its 2023-24 UWCL campaign, beating Slavia Praha 9-0. Things were going smoothly for Sonia Bompastor’s squad until Matchday 4, when it drew Brann 2-2 after being up two goals after 15 minutes. In the quarterfinals, Lyon was the one to make a comeback, beating Benfica 2-1 in the first leg. In the second leg, French international Kadidiatou Diani shone, netting two added-time goals to help Lyon win the series 6-2 on aggregate. Lyon’s semifinal was an all-French showdown with Paris Saint-Germain, where Lyon recovered from 2-0 down to beat PSG 3-2 in Leg 1. The Division 1 Féminine title holders went on to win the away leg 2-1.
Fiery Barcelona meets pesky competition
Sitting atop UEFA’s coefficient rankings, Barcelona will be feeling confident heading into Saturday’s final.
Boasting a slew of talent that led Spain to FIFA Women’s World Cup and UEFA Women’s Nations League gold, Barcelona has further solidified its star-power status this season, as even a home loss to Chelsea didn’t stop the squad from reaching the final. The Spaniards’ winning mentality and relentless aggression on attack proves that even if Barcelona is down a goal or two, it certainly isn’t out of the running.
But despite Barcelona’s dominance in the game as of late, it has one final battle: overcoming Lyon, a side that has taken Europe by storm for the past 15 years. In the four times these two clubs have met, the French side has won all of them. Will this be the time Barcelona triumphs, or will it give in to the pressure? In February, Barcelona had the majority of players in Spain’s starting XI, who beat France 2-0 in the Nations League final (France’s side was full of Lyon talent). Although this might be considered an edge, anything can happen at this stage of the competition.
New recruits look to lead Lyon to another title
Lyon’s look has changed since it won its last UWCL trophy, in 2022. The French side has lost a handful of goal-scorers and technical masters in Catarina Macario and Amandine Henry, while Ada Hegerberg is questionable with injury. However, fresh talent, notably Haitian sensation Melchie Dumornay and Diani, the competition’s top goal-scorer this year, have had no problem filling the gaps in the starting XI. Despite bowing out to Chelsea in the quarterfinals last year, Lyon has been at the highest pedigree this campaign with an unbeaten group stage record and a whopping 36 goal tally. If Lyon wants to reclaim the crown, it’ll have to continue its prolific ways on Saturday.
Additionally, Lyon might not have some of the sport’s flashiest names like Barcelona does with Aitana Bonmani, Alexia Putellas and Paralluelo, but it has a squad filled with consistency and experience. Eugénie Le Sommer, Wendie Renard, Ellie Carpenter and Griedge Mbock Bathy are used to performing creatively in high-pressure situations and against high-calibre opponents, which Barcelona certainly is.
Who are the key players to watch?
While many viewers will be watching current top-scorer Diani, don’t forget about Wendie Renard. The 33-year-old central defender tops the list of all-time most appearances in this competition, and will use her veteran status to lead and support her teammates on the pitch. Since returning from injury earlier this year, Renard has not only controlled the backline, but has used her height as an attacking threat from set pieces.
On the other hand, it would be impossible not to mention Barcelona without thinking about Bonmati. The midfield magician has been racking up individual awards for her playmaking abilities and capacity to control the game’s tempo. Ahead of yet another career final, the 26-year-old has not only recorded five goals and six assists, but made her defensive prowess known alongside Keira Walsh.
What about Canadians?
Lyon defender Vanessa Gilles is the only Canadian left in the competition. In this campaign, the Quebec native has played in 10 matches (816 minutes), scored three goals, recorded 15 tackles and has tallied an 85.8 per cent passing accuracy.
Gilles was a substitute in the first leg of the semifinals, and got the start in the second leg. On Saturday, expect the 28-year-old to see the pitch at some point, whether as a substitute or part of the starting XI.
