WHO: Barcelona vs Arsenal
Contents: UEFA Women’s Champions League Finals
When: Saturday, May 24th (18:00 kickoff, 16:00 GMT)
Location: Estadio Jose Albaredo, Lisbon, Portugal
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Barcelona is aiming to complete the three-peat women’s Champions League title and win Europe’s fourth crown in five years facing Arsenal held in Lisbon on Saturday.
Al Jazeera Sports is watching the final pit two biggest names of women’s soccer for the game’s biggest club award.
What is the secret behind Barcelona’s success?
Barcelona is looking to reaffirm their position as the dominant force in women’s soccer in Europe after defeating Lyon successfully defending the title in last year’s final.
Their possessive, high-scoring attacks are led from the midfield by Barondore or Alexia Peteras, the winners of the Ballon d’Or, a team that won the Spanish World Cup, which defeated England in the 2023 final.
What is Barcelona’s Champions League record?
Barcelona played in the Champions League Finals for the sixth time in seven seasons, and placed a record fifth in a row with Lisbon’s 50,000-man Estadio Jose Al Barredo.
The Catalan club will have the opportunity to become the only team other than Lyon to lift the European Cup for the third year in a row.
Bonmati, the winner of the 2023 and 2024 Ballon d’Or, said the experience he gained from the previous finals was invaluable.
“I learned a lot. It’s a path we fell for. The first final in Budapest was an inexperienced team to see what happened. Now we’re a winning team,” she said.
“It’s very important to know how to get around and how to suffer, and never give up.
What is Arsenal’s view in facing Barcelona?
Standing on the road for Barcelona is the Arsenal team who is excellent as spoilers for this campaign, hoping to separate another upset and win a second European title.
“They’re a great team and they obviously have a recent history to prove that,” Arsenal defender Leah Williamson said of Barcelona in his build-up to the final.
“We respect them so much, but it’s the final, so everyone shows up and everyone does their best.”
How do Barcelona and Arsenal match?
First year Barcelona coach Pere Romeu has a side that can hit from all angles with multiple scoring options.
They lead all the key team statistics in the offense. Most goals scored at 44, Arsenal’s 25, best possession, best passing accuracy, and most shot attempts.
Barcelona forward Claudia Pina leads the competition with 10 goals ahead of Arsenal pair Mariona Caldente, who joined from the Spanish club last year, and Alesia Arsso with seven each. Bonmati and teammate Patri Guijarro each lead the competition with five assists.
Did Barcelona improve last season?
Barcelona added to the winning team in the offseason by signing Polish striker Ewa Pajor.
The 28-year-old Pajar is sought for her first European title after losing four finals at former club Wolfsberg, including the 2023 final to Barcelona after a 2-0 lead.
“The finals will be in detail and you can prepare the details before the game,” Pajar said. “That’s what I learned too. I played in four finals, so I have to be there in the first minute until the very end.”
How did Barcelona season go?
Barcelona rolled into the La Liga F title for the sixth year in a row, reaching another Copadella Reina final, but has proven to be beatable at the same time.
The unbeaten run of the Barcelona family in La Liga F ended after a record 64 games this season, losing to Real Madrid for the first time in 19 Classicos since top rivals established the women’s team.
They also started the Champions League with a rare group stage loss to Manchester City.
“We lost more games than before, some games that hurt more than others,” Barcelona forward Caroline Graham added of the city’s defeat.
How is Arsenal formed?
Arsenal remains the only English team to win the biggest title in women’s club football when they defeated the UEFA Women’s Cup in 2007, two years before the tournament was reformatted and renamed the Women’s Champions League.
Arsenal may be underdogs, but given his recent comeback execution, he may be happy with the role.
Rennie Sleggers’ team opposed Madrid in the quarterfinals and then rebounded from a 2-1 defeat in London with a 4-1 victory in France when he was shocked by the eighth winner Lyon in the semifinals.
This is the only chance for the English club to win this campaign after finishing second to Chelsea in the English Women’s Super League and failing to reach the FA Cup or League Cup final.
“We had to come back from a lot of difficult situations, set-offs, but with the team [fact that we] Keep on trusting, that was key to us,” Thregards said. “We did some magical things.”
Do Arsenal and Barcelona have a history?
Arsenal was Barcelona’s first enemy in the top European club competition in the 2012-13 season, with the British squashing the Catalans 7-0 with two legs.
But Barcelona wasn’t as good as it is now. They overwhelmed Chelsea. Chelsea are undefeated beyond the 22-game women’s super league season to win the title 8-2 in the Champions League semi-finals.
“Everything will bring you to yours now,” Putteras said. “In this first match of the competition, I couldn’t imagine coming next. It’s because of my work. I feel a privilege to be able to live this whole journey.”
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