Barcelona Edge Lyon to Record-Equalling Fourth Barcelona Vs Lyon Final

Barcelona vs Lyon returned to the Women’s Champions League final in Oslo for a record-equalling fourth time. Barcelona arrived in their sixth consecutive final, while Lyon reached their 12th, and the Spanish club were chasing a fourth title.

Ewa Pajor led Barcelona into the decider as the competition’s joint-top scorer with 9 goals. She had scored in each of her past four Women’s Champions League appearances for the club and could become the first player since the competition was reformatted in 2009-10 to score in both legs of the quarter-finals, both legs of the semi-finals and the final in the same edition.

Pajor’s Final Push

“I am very proud to get another chance to play in the final because it is not easy. We have played very well this season to get here and it is a great feeling now. Focus on the game and what we have to do, what I have to do for my team. We will do everything in this game and we will try to enjoy it as well.”

That was Pajor’s message before kickoff, and it came with a clear statistical edge. She could also become the first player to score 10 non-penalty goals since Wolfsburg’s Tabea Sellner in 2021-22.

“We know what we have to do on the pitch. We trained very well this week but also all season. we know how we want to play and we are very focussed.”

The opportunity was unusually specific for Barcelona. A fourth final against Lyon gave Pajor a chance to add the kind of individual line that changes the record book, not just the result.

Engen At Ullevaal Stadion

Ingrid Engen called it “a very special day for me but also for the whole team. To be in a Champions League final is the highlight of your career, so I am here to enjoy. I am in a stadium where I feel really good and have played before, so that makes it even more special.”

She also pointed to Lyon’s preparation: “When you are in a final you prepare as good as you can but a lot of things can move it one way or another. I believe a lot in our plan of the game and right now we need to go out there and give everything we have.”

Lyon reached the final after beating Arsenal in the semi-final, then arrived in Oslo with club owner Michele Kang walking around the pitch during the warm-up to greet supporters. More than 5,000 Barcelona fans also travelled to the Norwegian capital, giving the final a crowd backdrop that matched the scale of the meeting.

The stage left Barcelona with a simple assignment: turn a record-equalling final into a fourth trophy. Lyon had the history; Barcelona had the recent run; Pajor had the scoring numbers to tilt both.