Lyon reasserted themselves as the dominant force in European women’s football in style, scoring three first-half goals to beat defending champions Barcelona in a gripping Champions League final.
Forward Ada Hegerberg was the star, holding the ball up in the build-up to Amandine Henry’s first goal, scoring the second and providing an assist for the third, scored by Catarina Macário, as the usually fluid Barcelona struggled. for coping with Lyon’s strength in transition and the French side’s careful management of play to protect a two-goal lead, with Alexia Putellas cutting one back after the break.
Before the final, no one was really sure what would happen in Juventus’s sunken stadium, northeast of the city center. Three years ago, there was a clear gulf between the old and the new money of Lyon and Barcelona, with the latter humiliated. Barcelona conceded four goals in 30 minutes as Lyon went on a rampage, led by Hegerberg, who scored a hat-trick in 17 minutes.
That defeat has fueled Barcelona’s plans since setting the benchmark the Catalan club needed to reach, and they have invested and built accordingly. A 4-0 defeat to Chelsea in the final last year showed signs of the arrogance they had faced two years earlier. But the question still remained: had they closed the gap with the dominant force in Europe?
At minute 33 the answer was emphatic: no. In the suffocating humidity, Lyon came to life. In six minutes they had taken a deserved lead. Facing France manager Corine Diacre, Henry beat UEFA Women’s Player of the Year Putellas with a deflected pass, broke free and sent her shot spinning into the top corner from 35 yards out. He was a statement opener.
“There was women’s football before Barcelona, and it was played here for years,” Hegerberg told L’Équipe last month, frustrated by the constant purr about the reigning European champions. “We have to win again to regain our place in world football.”
The Champions League record goalscorer spoke well, but it was also inevitable that she would walk the walk, because she always does. A perfect ball from Selma Bacha on the left was headed hard by Lyon’s forward, below Mapi León in flight and goalkeeper Sandra Paños in a dive. It was the 59th goal in the Champions League and the sixth in the final of the competition.
Hegerberg nearly had a second moment later, holding on to a short back pass from Irene Paredes only to have the ball snatched from her feet by Paños as she attempted to dribble around it.
The Norwegian striker would also be instrumental in Lyon’s third, connecting with Melvine Malard before provoking the ball to US international Macário at the far post, who rushed it over the line.
Three goals down with 33 minutes played is not a familiar position for the often unrestrained Barcelona. It was the first time the Catalan team had been two goals behind in the first half since the 2019 final and the first time they had been trailing. three in any match since that final.
This was classic Lyon, fast, strong, muscular and powerful, and the Barcelona players seemed slightly less hesitant in front of him than they had three years earlier. But with the roar of an extraordinary number of traveling fans, some of whom had boarded 37 coaches for a 24-hour round trip, Barcelona began to control the pace of the game a little better.
In the 41st minute they returned the goal. Winger Caroline Graham Hansen, who had been keeping very quiet, found space on the right and delivered a cross to Putellas, which she swept with the inside of her foot. The forward picked up the ball and casually tossed it toward Hegerberg as she ran toward the center circle with a look that said “game on.”
Hoping to inject some more energy into their attack, Barcelona coach Jonatan Giraldez swapped striker Jenni Hermoso for Asisat Oshoala. Despite a high-pressure finish to the first half, Barcelona struggled to keep up the effort in the second. His best effort came when Patricia Guijarro he stole Macário and, seeing goalkeeper Cristiane Endler off his line, lifted the ball towards the goal and was denied the ball by the crossbar.
The gap is closing, but it has not yet been overcome. Barcelona have made great progress, enough to turn this into a rivalry that will hopefully continue to excite.
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Reference-www.theguardian.com