Bonmatí and Putellas fire Barcelona to Champions League glory against Lyon

Bilbao is used to being decorated in stripes, the flags of their beloved Athletic Club hang from every other window, but on Saturday the city found itself swamped in less familiar colours, Barcelona’s red and blue filling every bar and populating every square as travelling fans celebrated beating Lyon in a Champions League final at the third time of asking.

It was their talismanic duo, playmaker Aitana Bonmatí and superstar Alexia Putellas, who delivered in front of 50,827 fans. Bonmatí’s effort taking a deflection off Vanessa Gilles to take it past Christiane Endler shortly after the hour mark, before Putellas added the second a minute after coming on deep into injury time. It was deserved, the French champions were unable to handle the guile of the world’s best passers of the ball.

This was never going to be as emphatic as the two previous finals between these sides. In Budapest, in 2019, the French champions were four goals up within 30 minutes, going on to win 4-1. In Turin, three years later, it was a familiar story, with Lyon three up inside 33 minutes, going on to win 3-1.

Since then, the Blaugrana have lifted the trophy twice. According to their forward Caroline Graham Hansen: “We’ve matured hugely and learned over the years, particularly from the finals we lost. So, we’re happy to be back with another chance to win one and to show how we’ve changed and toughened up.”

Lyon have been the thorn in the side of the Liga F champions but the tide is turning in European women’s football. Barcelona, stacked with World Cup winners, are now in the ascendancy.

Continuity was the name of the game when the teams were announced, Sonia Bompastor with an unchanged XI from the semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain in Paris, while there was just one change for Jonatan Giráldez with Mariona Caldentey replacing Ona Batlle after their semi-final second leg win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Barça’s dominance was on display, 66.3% of possession in the first half a testament to the style of football that looks set to rule for decades. They had very little to show for it, their best chance coming 29 minutes in. Lyon handed them possession on the edge of their own area, allowing Caldentey to break into the box only to send her effort straight at Endler.

Graham Hansen would drag a shot wide shortly before half-time as they sought an advantage. Lyon had threatened too, Lucy Bronze almost steering into her own net from Selma Bacha’s corner, her header skimming off the bar before Wendie Renard struck the stray ball goalward and Barcelona scrambled it clear.

Lyon would arguably have their best chance to take the lead early in the second half, but Gilles was unable to steer her header from Bacha’s free kick past Catalina Coll.

They would be made to pay for their profligacy on their rare forays forward just past the hour mark when, taking the game by the scruff of its neck, Bonmatí collected the ball on the overlap before firing in from the tightest of angles, a deflection off Gilles taking the ball past a well-placed Endler.

The roar from the fans was deafening, their engine, starlet, Ballon d’Or and World Cup winner, delivering for them on the biggest of stages once more.

Lyon brought on the competition’s record goalscorer, Ada Hegerberg, as they sought an equaliser, but they could not land their punches and substitute Putellas would put them to the sword.

Project Barcelona marches on, physicality and street-smarts added to their fluid style to secure a third Champions League title.