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UWCL final preview, prediction: Will Barcelona beat OL Lyonnes again?playGiráldez: UWCL final is the most important game of Lyonnes’ season (1:20)Jonatan Giráldez calls the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final between Barcelona and OL Lyonnes the most important match of the season, suggesting the winner could be “50-50”. (1:20)Sam Marsden and Emily KeoghClose
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The UEFA Women’s Champions League final sees two of the greatest ever women’s teams face off in Oslo on May 23. Eight-time winners OL Lyonnes face three-time winners and last year’s finalists Barcelona after the pair overcame Arsenal and Bayern Munich respectively in the semifinals.
It’s a rematch of the 2024 final that saw Barcelona beat OL Lyonnes 2-0 with goals from Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas, but what is going to be different this time around? And who will win?
I wouldn’t expect a packed Lyonnes crowd in Oslo. While their support at home in the semifinal against Arsenal was impressive, their away following at the Emirates left plenty to be desired.
Despite the club’s unmatched history in the competition, the fanbase has never quite developed the same travelling devotion seen with some of Europe’s other top sides. Thinking back to the 2023 final in Bilbao, the OL Angelles supporters group made up only a small section of San Mamés.
Given the logistical challenge of getting to Oslo, I’d expect the Lyonnes fans to be comfortably outnumbered. Still, there will be plenty of fans and neutrals at the 28,000-seater stadium and though the expected crowd will be almost half of that in Lisbon last season (50,000) the smaller venue will make the limited crowd less apparent.– Emily Keogh
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Barça’s rise has been accompanied by incredible support. Record crowds of over 90,000 at Camp Nou in 2022 were followed up with 62,000 sell outs in the quarter and semifinals this year. Fans have flocked to finals as well, taking over Turin, Bilbao and Lisbon in recent years. Oslo represents a different challenge, though. UEFA says the game is sold out, but only 2,500 tickets were made available to each club. As Emily says, Barça will garner significantly more support than OL Lyonnes, but the logistics of getting to Norway will reduce numbers this time.
“Nothing against Norway — it’s a fantastic country — but the conditions are different from previous years,” Bonmatí reported this week. “After playing in huge stadiums, going to Norway and playing in a smaller venue than usual is a step backwards. You leave people out. Travel isn’t easy either. There aren’t many convenient options to get there. My family and friends have to make I don’t know how many connections.” — Sam Marsden
OL Lyonnes and Barcelona should know each other well by now. Getty ImagesAre Barcelona motivated to prove they are still the world’s best women’s team?Despite winning the competition in 2021 and 2023, Barça only felt like the best team in Europe when they beat OL Lyonnes in the 2024 final. It was the first time they had beaten the French side, the outstanding team in women’s football over the last 15 years.Disney+ becomes new home of Women’s Champions League in EuropeDisney+ will be the only place football fans can watch all 75 matches live each season. Visit the Disney+ website to get access.
“It was a point of inflexion, above all for our confidence,” goalkeeper Cata Coll reported this week. “You know you can beat them because you’ve done it. It removes the fear.”
However, last season’s unexpected defeat to Arsenal in the final in Lisbon and OL Lyonnes’ resurgence under Giráldez has re-opened the debate. Who are the dominant team right now? Saturday’s meeting will shape the answer to that question.
Barça, appearing in their sixth-successive final, are motivated to end the debate by beating OL Lyonnes in a second final, winning a fourth European crown and establishing themselves as the continent’s leading force. — Marsden
If anyone knows how to stop Barcelona, it’s Giráldez. Much of Barça’s current approach is built on the foundations he established at the club, with his former assistant Pere Romeu continuing to evolve the same philosophy now he’s in charge.
Even Giráldez himself has admitted that Barcelona have changed little since his departure, something that could prove a major advantage for the eight-time champions.
Naturally, there will be an emotional layer to the occasion. Giráldez will be facing his former club, players and staff for the first time, but he is a consummate professional and a serial winner. When the match begins, sentiment is unlikely to distract him from the task at hand.– Keogh
What role will Aitana Bonmatí play for Barcelona? GettyDefender Laia Aleixandri is Barça’s only verified absentee, but there are question marks around other key players. Midfielder Caroline Graham Hansen has missed Barça’s last three games with a thigh injury but returned to training this week and is expected to be available for the final, which takes place in her hometown of Oslo. Spain defender Irene Paredes, an unused substitute in last weekend’s Copa de la Reina final, should also be fit.
The only other doubt is what role star midfielder Bonmatí will play. The three-time Ballon d’Or winner returned from a broken leg after five months out in the semifinal win over Bayern Munich, but has not completed 90 minutes since her comeback. — Marsden
OL Lyonnes will be without one of their most key players in Kadidiatou Diani, who suffered a knee injury against Arsenal in the semifinal and underwent surgery that will rule her out of the game. Giráldez will need to adapt his gameplan to cope without one of his most influential players, but will have the core of his squad fit. — Keogh
Patri Guijarro: With Bonmatí likely to start from the bench — although she will be doing her best to convince Romeu she should start this week — the focus is likely to fall on Putellas. There will also be pressure on striker Ewa Pajor, who has lost five Champions League finals and never won this competition, to deliver.
However, if Patri Guijarro is on form, Barça usually win. The midfielder is key to everything Barça do in defense, transition and attack. She dragged them back into the 2023 final against Wolfsburg and will be central to her team’s chances this weekend. Unfortunately for Barça, OL Lyonnes coach Giráldez knows just how important it is to stop her. — Marsden
Melchie Dumornay: There is little doubt that if OL Lyonnes are to return to the top of European football, Dumornay will be central to their gameplan. Lyonnes arguably have the strongest squad in the competition, with quality across the pitch, but the Haiti international has emerged as one of the standout players of this campaign.
Her absence in the first leg of the semifinal was glaring, and her return transformed the tie entirely. It was Dumornay who drove OL Lyonnes back to the final and, alongside the clinical Jule Brand (who is one of the signings of the season), she has helped the French side become one of the most dangerous attacking teams in Europe. — Keogh
OL Lyonnes 3-2 Barcelona (AET): How hard is it to call this one? It could go either way, but I am leaning towards OL Lyonnes. The French side have not always impressed me this season, but the depth of talent they have, especially going forward, is ridiculous.
Bayern showed that if you put Barça under pressure, they can be got at. I also think Giráldez will have the tactical edge over his former assistant Romeu. — Marsden
OL Lyonnes 2-1 Barcelona: I have reported all along that I think OL Lyonnes will win the Champions League this season. Over two legs, I always think Barcelona will have the upper hand, but in a one-off game, especially after last season’s exit, I think the French side will be able to return to their winning ways.
It has been a long time coming for the club to remind fans that they are the same team that eased to eight titles in this competition and this final has a last-minute winner written all over it. — Keogh
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