The Women’s Champions League trophy will be on the line when holders Barcelona Women defend their crown in Saturday’s final against Arsenal Women at Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon.
The Catalan giants are bidding to win the competition for the third season in a row, while the Gunners are hoping to become the European champions for the second time in their history.
Match preview
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The showdown in the Portuguese capital represents the final chance for Arsenal to win silverware this season, after they finished second in the Women’s Super League, fell at the quarter-final stage of the Women’s FA Cup and lost in the Women’s League Cup semi-finals.
While domestic silverware has alluded them, they have navigated their way to their second European final, topping their group with five wins and just one defeat, before staging impressive turnarounds to see off Real Madrid and Lyon in the knockout phase.
Renee Slegers‘s side overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit with a 3-0 home win to eliminate Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, before they bounced back from a 2-1 defeat against Lyon at the Emirates Stadium with a memorable trip to France on April 27.
Mariona Caldentey, Alessia Russo and Caitlin Foord all found the net following a Christiane Endler own goal to fire the Gunners to a 4-1 victory, ending the club’s 18-year wait for a UWCL final appearance.
Arsenal will have fond memories of their last European final in 2006-07 when Alex Scott scored the only goal over two legs against Umea to help the Gunners become the first and only English club to win the UWCL.
The North London club have experienced mixed preparation for the final, losing 5-2 to Aston Villa and 4-2 to Brighton, before returning to winning ways with an entertaining 4-3 win over Manchester United on the final day of the WSL season.
Having shipped 13 goals in three matches, the Gunners will be aware they will have to tighten up defensively if they are to have any chance of beating a Barcelona side that have scored 44 goals in 10 UWCL matches this term.
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In contrast to their hosts, Barcelona have made a habit of lifting the Women’s Champions League trophy in recent times, having won the competition in three of the last four seasons, including in each of the previous two editions of the competition.
Barcelona’s latest trip to the final began with a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the opening group game, but they responded to that loss in emphatic fashion, putting together a nine-game winning run to reach a record-equalling fifth consecutive final.
The Blaugrana eased to a 10-2 aggregate win over Wolfsburg in the quarter-finals, before they recorded 4-1 victories in both legs of their semi-final tie against WSL champions Chelsea, reinforcing the belief that they remain the team to beat in Europe.
They certainly remain the standard setters in Spain after recently claiming a sixth consecutive Liga F title, adding to the Spanish Super Cup they have already won this season.
Pere Romeu‘s side are looking to achieve the quadruple with finals to come in the UWCL and Copa de la Reina, and they will certainly fancy their chances of pulling off that feat after winning each of their last 10 competitive matches, scoring at least four goals in eight of those victories.
Barcelona may have suffered heavy defeats in their first two meetings with Arsenal in 2012, but they will have fond memories of their two group stage encounters in the 2021-22 competition, when they followed a 4-1 home win with a 4-0 away victory.
The reigning European champions know they are just one game away from becoming the second club to lift three consecutive UWCL trophies and the third club to win the competition on four separate occasions.
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Team News
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Arsenal could be without defender Katie Reid and forward Lina Hurtig, while goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar is a doubt after missing the last three matches through injury.
Austria international Manuela Zinsberger will retain her place between the posts if Van Domselaar is unable to prove her fitness in time for the final.
Caldentey, who has won three European titles with Barcelona, could prove to be one of Arsenal’s key players if they are to enjoy success on Saturday, having scored four goals in her last five appearances and seven goals in the UWCL main draw this season.
As for Barcelona, they are unable to call upon Portugal international Kika Nazareth, who has been out since March with an ankle injury.
Esmee Brugts and Claudia Pina are pushing for recalls after scoring as substitutes in Sunday’s 6-0 win over Athletic on the final day of the Liga F season.
After netting braces in each of her last three appearances, Pajor will be looking to add to her 42-goal tally for the season when she leads the line against the Gunners.
Arsenal Women possible starting lineup:
Zinsberger; Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe; Maanum, Little, Caldentey; Kelly, Foord; Russo
Barcelona Women possible starting lineup:
Coll; Batlle, Paredes, Leon, Brugts; Bonmati, Guijarro, Putellas; Graham Hansen, Pina, Pajor
We say: Arsenal Women 1-3 Barcelona Women
Arsenal proved in the last two rounds that their squad boast great character and fight, but while they would have taken confidence from their victories over Real Madrid and Lyon, a final against Barcelona is another significant step up.
The Blaugrana have the recent know-how of how to win the UWCL, and we ultimately believe that their experience and immense quality will help them claim a relatively comfortable victory in Saturday’s final.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
