There were a number of great performances in the Lyon team: Wendie Renard, Selma Bacha, Amandine Henry, Melvine Malard. But the player of the match was Ada Hegerberg, whose skill, intelligence and bronca were too much for the Barcelona defence. She was awesome.
Lyon have won the Champions League for the eighth time, including six in the last seven seasons, and this is one of the sweetest victories of all. Great teams get a unique high from silencing doubters and recovering from trophyless seasons. Lyon have done so in style: they beat PSG, who eliminated them last season, in the semi-finals and now they have done a number on the champions Barcelona. Their win was richly deserved.
LYON ARE CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE AGAIN!
Full time: Barcelona 1-3 Lyon We should have known. Lyon came into this game as big underdogs against an apparently unstoppable Barcelona side, but their experience – maybe even their entitlement – was decisive. Ada Hegerberg was majestic, particularly in the first half, and Amandine Henry scored the goal of her life.
Barcelona never gave up but nor were they ever at their best. They looked like they didn’t understand the concept of being behind in a football match. Their reign as European champions is over, at least for now. But there will be surely more chapters in the burgeoning Lyon/Barcelona rivalry.
90+7 min: Hegerberg hits the post! That would have been some finish. Le Sommer moved down the right and drove a deliberately deep cross to Hegerberg, who slammed a technically immaculate volley off the near post.
90+6 min A cross from the left is comfortably claimed by Endler. Barcelona know it’s over.
90+4 min Morroni is booked for a late tackle on Pina. Barcelona have three minutes to score two goals.
90+1 min Graham Hansen’s cross is headed over by the stretching Paredes, six yards out. Not an easy chance, but still a good one.
90 min There will be seven minutes of added time.
89 min Oshoala shoots wide from the left side of the box. Barcelona can have no complaints about the result – Lyon have been the better team.
87 min The corner is headed wide under pressure by Patri.
87 min Putellas’s shot deflects behind for a corner. This is, by far, Barcelona’s best spell of the second half. But it’s probably going to be too late.
86 min Oshoala almost runs onto Putellas’s through ball but is eventually crowded out. At first glance I thought she was held back by Renard, though nobody appealed for a penalty.
85 min Paredes is booked for fouling Hegerberg, then gives the referee a mouthful. And why not.
85 min “I don’t know if the Barcelona coach is an Amazon customer,” says Peter Oh, “but it might be time for him to give the voice command: ‘Alexia, score two more goals in the next five minutes’.”
84 min Pina and Bonmati have shots blocked in the space of a few seconds.
83 min: Just wide from Crnogorcevic! Oshoala finds space on the left and swings a cross to the far post, where Crnogorcevic comes on the blind side of Morroni and volleys fractionally wide!
82 min “Martens hasn’t made the impact on the game I was hoping,” says Travis Giblin, “but she was entirely instrumental in their win last time, despite not scoring a goal. Without her none of the goals would have happened. There’s still time for a nailbiter!”
81 min: Lyon substitution A double change in fact. Perle Morroni and Janice Cayman replace Delphine Cascarino and Griedge Mbock Bathy.
79 min Mbock Bathy makes the most of an overzealous shoulder charge from Martens, then gets some treatment for cramp. The Barcelona players aren’t impressed. Nor is their coach Jonatan Giraldez, who is booked for complaining.
78 min A Barcelona goal now would make things phenomenally interesting. But in truth they are struggling, with Lyon defending as comfortably as at any stage in the match.
77 min: Chance for Renard! That could have sealed it for Lyon. Bacha’s driven free-kick from the right was half-volleyed wide by the unmarked Renard at the far post.
76 min A change for Barcelona: Claudia Pina for Fridolina Rolfo. I think that means a switch to three at the back.
75 min Oshoala misses a great headed chance from Rolfo’s cross, though she was offside anyway.
74 min “I have a profitable idea and it’s a risk free deal for you,” writes Nikonova Natalia Grigorevna. “Contact me if you are willing to know more.”
I’m afraid I couldn’t possibly do business with somebody who doesn’t hyphenate risk-free when it’s used as an adjective.
Water break And with that, it’s time for the second drinks break of the night.
72 min: Lyon substitution Eugenie Le Sommer comes on for the superb Melvine Malard.
70 min Barcelona are running out of time. I thought the second half would be one-way traffic but that hasn’t been the case at all. In fact, though Patri hit the bar from near the halfway line, I don’t think Endler has had a save to make.
67 min Barcelona are starting to get frustrated, both by their inability to score a second and Lyon’s game-management. Macario goes down after wearing a stray arm from Crnogorcevic, and that eats up another 90 seconds.
64 min Macario is booked for kicking the ball away.
64 min Rolfo drives a hopeful cross-shot into the side netting. Meanwhile, here’s that outrageous effort from Patri a few minutes ago.
62 min Oshoala breaks into space down the lef.. it’s offside, forget it.
60 min There’s a break in play while Endler receives treatment. She injured herself while trying to keep out that shot from Patri, presumably when she landed. She’s okay to continue for now.
59 min: Double substitution for Barcelona Lieke Martens and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic replace Marta Torrejon and Mariona Caldentey.
58 min: Patri hits the bar from 50 yards! My days, what an effort. A ball up to Macario on the halfway line was won by Leon and ran loose in the centre circle. Patri spotted Endler off her line and drove a first-time shot that swirled over the keeper and smacked off the crossbar.
57 min Malard finds Horan on the left wing. She moves into the area, beats Torrejon with contemptuous ease and slides a low cross that is cleared by Rolfo.
55 min This is a good spell for Lyon, who have kept the ball a bit better since half-time.
52 min: Chance for Cascarino! Lyon continue to look so dangerous in transition. Horan plays a good angled pass to Cascarino, who is forced slightly wide by a sloppy first touch but still manages to leather a rising drive just over the bar. That was a really good effort from a tightish angle.
50 min After a good run from Macario, Malard shoots straight at Panos from the edge of the D.
49 min Henry fouls Bonmati 25 yards from goal, a fair way to the right of centre. Putellas tries a training-ground free-kick and makes a mess of it.
46 min Peep peep!
https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2022/may/21/barcelona-v-lyon-womens-champions-league-final-2022-live
