Where the Women's Champions League final was won and lost
Saturday, May 21, 2022
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The protagonists and our UEFA.com reporters analyse where the final was decided.
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A team winning their eighth title in the space of 11 years might not sound like a surprise, but for many people that is exactly what Lyon's 3-1 UEFA Women's Champions League final defeat of Barcelona in Turin represented.
Barcelona claimed the trophy last year after Lyon's five-season reign had ended and, with huge backing at Juventus Stadium, they were widely tipped to retain the cup. Instead, Lyon were three up in 33 minutes through Amandine Henry, Ada Hegerberg and Catarina Macario, and although Alexia Putellas soon pulled one back, Barcelona conceded the trophy. The teams and our reporters look back on the game.
Where did the players/coaches think the Women's Champions League final was decided?
Sonia Bompastor, Lyon coach: "My team talk was very easy. This is the most beautiful match and beautiful competition a club can dream of playing. So you need to be up to scratch ... It's the first time [someone has won this competition as a player and a coach]; we are making history. But what's important is that it was the tenth final for the club and a chance to get an eighth title. It's a victory I want to savour, but it's not me who should be in the spotlight; it's my players and the staff. I am very demanding, but my staff support me and help me with my emotions so it is a collective victory."
Amandine Henry, Visa Player of the Match: "I could see a space [for the goal] and I went for it! I tried my luck and I saw exactly where it was going. I didn't even wait for it to go into the top corner before I was celebrating! I do like these type of games. This gets into my core; I love games like this. I also have some fantastic team-mates around me. They make it easier. The whole team has won this trophy today."
Wendie Renard, Lyon captain: "[On whether Lyon were underdogs] That's what journalists said. We wanted to keep on writing our story and we had things to show. Tonight we showed what we could do and we did it well because we're leaving with the trophy."
Jonatan Giráldez, Barcelona coach: "We knew that they would put a lot of pressure on us. The first goal, an astonishing goal, made us very confused. We were a bit out of place. We knew the key to the game was to control their transitions and for some minutes we weren't able to do that. We had to go deeper and that gave them a lot of energy. We tried to get a quick equaliser, but at 3-1 we were way behind. But another team were playing and we want to congratulate them – they are an amazing team."
Where did our reporters think the Women's Champions League final was decided?
Paul Saffer, UEFA.com match reporter: A final to rank with the best: Wolfsburg 4-3 Tyresö in 2014 and the Frankfurt 3-2 Umeå second leg in 2008. Ever since last year's decider, the European women's club game has seemed to belong to Barcelona, but Lyon are back in charge after a mere 12-month interregnum. Henry was at her vintage best, Selma Bacha was brilliant at left-back, Hegerberg did Hegerberg things, and Renard lifted this trophy once more.
Alexandra Jonsson, Barcelona reporter: Barcelona came into this final as the favourites. They have been unstoppable all season, winning every single game in the league and all but one ahead of tonight. Perhaps that was also their downfall in this final. Up against a very good Lyon side, Barcelona were caught completely off guard.
They are used to always being on the ball and getting it back quickly once losing it. Here, however, they saw it end up in their own goal seemingly whenever they lost possession. In attack, Jennifer Hermoso was unable to take advantage of the chances Barcelona did create, but the match was lost in defence, the full-backs too far forward to have time to react when a very efficient Lyon side made the most of every ball they won.
Barcelona have been on top of the world for some time, but today they faced a challenge they could not overcome. Perhaps the silver lining from this will be that it helps take them up yet another level.
Vanessa Tomaszewski, Lyon reporter: From the beginning Lyon piled on the pressure, and their three-goal burst both damaged Barcelona's morale and showed the efficiency of Sonia Bompastor's team. This match was also a beautiful duel between Henry and Putellas, but also underscored the quality of Bacha, who revealed herself again as a passer in a season where she got nine assists in this competition, three clear of the next best tally. With Bompastor herself also setting a new mark, Lyon have made yet more history.