OSLO, Norway (AP) — Dynasties of European soccer past and present meet in the Women’s Champions League final on Saturday.
Barcelona against OL Lyonnes in Oslo will be the fourth time in eight seasons the modern powers have played for the European title, and the first since Lyon was rebranded by owner Michele Kang.
In the new Champions League format, they tied on points atop the 18-team standings in December.
Barcelona has swept all three domestic trophies this season and are both teams are pursuing a quadruple.
“The two greatest teams probably of all time,” said UEFA director of women’s football Nadine Kessler, herself a three-time Champions League winner before Lyon started a run of five straight titles in 2015.
It is Barcelona’s sixth straight final — and seventh in eight years — in an era shaped by their great attacking midfielders Aitana Bonmatí and Alèxia Putellas, who combined to win the past five Ballon d’Or awards.
“We are the best squads in Europe from the point of view of both the players and the coaches,” Putellas said Friday.
Lyon returns with talismanic players Wendie Renard and Ada Hegerberg, respectively the captain and hat trick scorer when Barcelona was beaten 4-1 in the 2019 final.
There is an extra layer of intrigue in the dugouts among teams that know each other so well.
Lyon coach Jonatan Giráldez won back-to-back Champions League titles at Barcelona when its current coach, Pere Romeu, was among his assistants.
Overcomes squad cuts
Barcelona is back in the final one year after being denied an expected three-peat by a 1-0 win for Arsenal.
The season started in some turmoil with squad cuts enforced as part of wider financial issues to help the club meet limits set by the men’s La Liga.
“The vibe in the team is a bit younger but it’s nothing more than the fun positive side,” said Barcelona’s Norwegian winger Caroline Graham Hansen, who grew up in Oslo near the Ullevaal Stadium.
On the field, it was domination again. The Spanish league title was retained with two rounds left and a record so far of played 28, won 27, lost 1, and goal difference +118. A 1-0 win for Real Sociedad in November is the only game Barcelona lost all season.
The Spanish cup and super cup trophies also were lifted, and Romeu’s team has reached the Champions League final by topping the league phase standings then eliminating Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Barcelona is favored to win a fourth European title after 2021, 23 and ’24, when it finally beat Lyon, 2-0.
Thriving with owner Kang
The first season with coach Giráldez and the OL Lyonnes name has gone well for owner Kang.
Lyon topped the regular-season league standings unbeaten and won both domestic cups. All that is left is Saturday in Oslo and a French league playoff final at home next Friday against Paris FC.
Its only losses all season were away legs in the Champions League knockout rounds against Wolfsburg and Arsenal, the title holder dethroned by a 3-1 loss in the second leg at Lyon.
Lifting both trophies in the next week would give the Renard a record-extending ninth European title and a remarkable 19th French league title.
At age 35, the storied central defender also is older than both the coaches Saturday. Lyon coach Giráldez is 34 and Romeu is 32.
Giráldez came to Lyon last offseason after first being lured away from Barcelona by Kang to lead the Washington Spirit team she also owns.
Prize money
The new league-phase format with a broadcast deal on Disney+ put 26 million euros ($30.15 million) into the Champions League prize money fund for 74 clubs. The men’s edition will share about 2.44 billion euros ($2.83 billion) among 36 clubs this season.
Barcelona has so far earned 1.455 million euros ($1.69 million) from UEFA, and Lyon has 10,000 euros ($11,600) less for finishing second in the league standings.
The winner Saturday will get a 500,000 euros ($580,000) bonus and the beaten finalist gets 300,000 euros ($348,000).
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