Impressive Lyon Stun Barcelona to Win Women’s Champions League

Impressive Lyon Stun Barcelona to Win Women’s Champions League

Babajide Orevba
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:03 PM
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  • Barcelona were defeated in the Women’s Champions League final by French side Lyon who dominated the Spanish side
  • Amandine Henry, Ada Hegerberg and Catarina Macario all scored in the first half to ensure Barcelona Femeni miss out on the winners’ medals
  • Nigerian international Asisat Oshoala was introduced into the game in the second half of the game, but her impact came too little too late

Barcelona were defeated 3-1 by Lyon on Saturday evening as the Spanish club lose the Women’s Champions League final in Turin.

The French team showed much determination in the encounter, with so much strength, and experience which helped them dominate the highly-entertaining encounter.

GOAL reports that Lyon have now won their eighth title as they become European champions again after two years.

Lyon, Barcelona, Champions League, Oshoala, Hermoso
Barcelona lose Women's Champions League final to Lyon who are champions of Europe again. Photo: Mattia Ozbot
Source: Getty Images

Barcelona's Jonatan Giraldez and Lyon's Sonia Bompastor started the game with their first-choice players and it was the French side that began the game on a high note.

They began to attack in the early stages before Amandine Henry smashed in a ferocious shot into the top corner to open the scoring.

The Spanish side made an attempt to restore parity immediately and it was Jenni Harmoso who attempted a shot which was blocked by Christiane Endler's hand.

Desperate to protect their lead, Lyon began to frustrate their opponents with time-wasting gimmicks and wanton fouls, Marca reports.

And they were able to extend their lead in the 23rd minute following a cross from Selma Bach which was poorly cleared by Sandra Panos was then tucked home by Ada Hegerberg, the all-time top scorer in the Champions League.

It went from bad to worse for Barcelona in the 33rd minute as another defensive blunder, with a poor clearance by Irene Paredes, allowed Hegerberg to cross and find Catarina Macario, who only had to push it over the goal line.

Barcelona then began to play on the back foot, losing possession easily as they eventually lost control of the game as well as their rhythm.

They eventually pulled one back before the break as Carolina Hansen’s delicious cross was met by Alexia Putellas who beat her marker to reduce the deficit to set up a tantalizing second half.

Changes were made as Asisat Oshoala was brought on for Jenni and later introduced Lieke Martens and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic.

Things began to turn around as Oshoala and an electric Crnogorcevic spurred on an otherwise unrecognisable Barcelona right-wing, but they could not get another goal as it ended Lyon 3-1 Barcelona.

Guardiola claims winning EPL is more difficult than winning the Champions League

Meanwhile, Sports Brief earlier reported that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reckons that winning the English Premier League is more difficult than winning the UEFA Champions League.

The Spaniard has come under scrutiny following his inability to guide Manchester City to the Holy Grail since his arrival at the Etihad Stadium in 2016.

The closest the former FC Barcelona coach has come to annexing the premier European club competition was last season when his Man City outfit lost narrowly to fellow Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Authors
Babajide Orevba photo
Babajide Orevba
Babajide Orevba is a CAF accredited Nigerian journalist and HOD of the Local Desk with over 10 years of experience in media landscape.He studied NCE Political Science/Social Studies, AOCOED.
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