Arsenal elevate the UEFA Girls’s Champions League with a 1-0 win that ended Barcelona’s hopes of a three-peat.
Arsenal upset defending champions Barcelona 1-0 to win the Girls’s Champions League for a second time.
Stina Blackstenius scored within the seventy fifth minute after being arrange by fellow second-half substitute Beth Mead within the closing on the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon on Saturday.
Arsenal’s title got here 18 years after it grew to become the primary, and nonetheless the one, English membership to win the highest membership title in ladies’s soccer.
Arsenal’s gamers embraced on the ultimate whistle and ran to have fun in entrance of the red-and-white nook of the stands, which have been in any other case largely wearing burgundy and blue.
“We believed from the second our Champions League journey began,” Arsenal striker Alessia Russo informed broadcaster TNT Sports activities. “We knew that we had the capabilities. We knew that we could possibly be adequate. It was nearly going and doing it. And we’ve completed it!”
Arsenal’s Swedish striker Stina Blackstenius shoots and scores her staff’s first aim (Carlos Costa/AFP)
Barcelona have been thought-about the heavy favorite. They have been aiming for a fourth title in 5 years and to develop into the one staff aside from Lyon to win three consecutive titles. The staff led by two-time Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas gained 9 straight within the competitors and blew out Wolfsburg and English champion Chelsea within the knockout rounds.
However Arsenal locked down in defence, aside from early within the second half, and created one of the best probabilities. Solely two excellent saves by Barcelona goalkeeper Cata Coll to disclaim Frida Maanum and Blackstenius saved it scoreless, till Blackstenius lastly beat her.
The victory marks an unbelievable end to a rocky season for Arsenal, which included coach Jonas Eidevall resigning and being changed by assistant Renee Seglers.
Since taking up, Seglers steered the staff via a spectacular European marketing campaign. Arsenal constructed its confidence from come-from-behind wins over Actual Madrid and eight-time champion Lyon within the knockout rounds earlier than laying low the almighty Barcelona.
The loss was an enormous disappointment for the massive group of Barcelona followers who crammed the stadium that’s dwelling to Sporting Lisbon. Blue-and-burgundy shirts and flags outnumbered the red-and-white part, however their calls of “Sure we are able to!” within the closing minutes weren’t sufficient to encourage a comeback by the Catalan membership.
The closest Barcelona got here to a aim was a shot by Claudia Pina that hit the crossbar simply after halftime when the Spanish staff had its greatest interval. In any other case, the sport was to Arsenal’s liking.
“We’re very sorry for all our followers who’ve come to assist us,” Bonmati informed Catalunya Radio within the discipline earlier than the award ceremony. “We are going to attempt to do it once more.”
Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati appears to be like dejected after strolling previous the Champions League trophy (Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters)
Arsenal shook off some early jitters in defence and shortly had Barcelona on the again foot. Arsenal’s stress up the sector stopped Barcelona from getting their possession sport going, and Arsenal discovered areas with lengthy balls down the left flank.
England striker Russo was a rock for Arsenal, utilizing her measurement to win balls and maintain the assault going.
Arsenal thought it went forward within the twenty second however a video evaluation waived off an personal aim by Barcelona’s Irene Paredes when the referee noticed an offside by Frida Maanum. Maanum then went shut with an extended shot within the twenty seventh that Coll did properly to stretch and push over her bar.
Bonmatí was the one Barcelona participant who gave the impression to be within the circulate earlier than halftime. Her dribble strikes via the center created a number of threats and saved Arsenal on guard in defence. Leah Williamson blocked her greatest shot deep within the field within the twelfth.
Barcelona got here out of the restart firing.
Pina hit the woodwork along with her chipped shot from a pointy angle within the forty ninth. Bonmati pressured goalie Daphne van Domselaar to get low to parry her shot, and Ona Batlle bombarded the realm with three pictures from lengthy vary.
However Blackstenius set the tone when she had a golden likelihood when she stole a ball with solely Cata to beat, however the goalie obtained her leg out to dam her effort within the 72nd. The Sweden ahead wouldn’t be denied a second time.
