.png)
3 hours ago
3
Five times the bridesmaid, finally the bride, the Barcelona forward Ewa Pajor shrugged off the pain of all her Champions League final losses, scoring twice, as they punished a profligate Lyonnes to earn a fourth European title.
Pajor stole the show, before Salma Paralluelo’s sublime double at the death doubled their tally. The Polish forward moved two goals clear of Alessia Russo’s nine to secure this season’s golden boot, but it was the trophy with sweeping ribbon-like handles that was all Pajor coveted.
This was also a big moment for Barcelona’s manager Pere Romeu, who stepped out of the shadow of the man he replaced, Jonatan Giráldez, to deliver his first European title as manager of the Catalan giants at the expense of his former boss. It would have gone a long way to make up for the disappointment of losing this final last year against Arsenal.
Giráldez is now the Lyonnes head coach, having been poached by Lyonnes’ billionaire owner Michele Kang for her US side, Washington Spirit, before he was moved across to take charge of her French team. Talismanic Barça captain Alexia Putellas has been her latest target, with her WSL side, London City Lionesses, reportedly attempting to lure the two-time Ballon d’Or winner, who is out of contract this summer, to London. The message from Barcelona was that this was a victory of spirit and tradition over attempts to buy success, with goalkeeper Cata Coll telling Catalan TV channel Esport3 that “money isn’t everything”, although with their own well reported financial issues it felt a little disingenuous.
It was a chess match in the Ullevaal Stadion between two teams that like to dominate games and somewhat unexpectedly it was cash-strapped Barcelona ceding more possession than they would have liked. The eight-time champions, Lyonnes, looked the better side for it before the break. The French giants frustrated their opponents and they went closest to taking the lead but Lindsey Heaps’ follow-up from close range after Coll pushed away Wendie Renard’s header was ruled out with the midfielder having been narrowly offside in the buildup.
Coll did exceptionally well to deny Ada Hegerberg and later Tabitha Chawinga when they were played through one on one after the break and that profligacy was costly, with Romeu’s side taking the lead against the run of play. Pajor’s neat first touch took her away from the centre-back Ingrid Engen before she fired low past Christiane Endler into the far corner. Pajor’s face was a picture as she let out a huge roar in celebration after breaking the deadlock for the team she joined to win Europe’s biggest prize with, after four final losses with Wolfsburg before she endured further heartbreak in last year’s final against Arsenal with her new side.
“I’m grateful. This is amazing, the best day of my life. I’ve played in six finals and finally, in Oslo, we did it,” the forward said.
Lyonnes were rattled, they had asked questions but failed to capitalise and Barcelona turned the screw, Pajor adding a second 14 minutes later when she thundered the ball in from close range.
Paralluelo’s double in the 90th and 93rd minutes put the cherry on the cake, exposing the space left by the now desperate Lyonnes. First, she fired into the top corner from the edge of the box, then she clipped the ball in after Pajor selflessly squared to her.
Giráldez repeatedly praised the impact of Pajor and Paralluelo as the “main difference”, having high-fived every Barça player as they passed him to collect their medals. He also put their season in perspective.
“This season brought many changes, with nine new players and also several new members of staff,” he said. “Taking everything into account, we have done a very good job throughout. Now we need to digest this defeat, recover properly and be ready for next week’s Première Ligue playoff final.”
Barcelona celebrated a fourth title in six years in style and it was deserved – they were clinical and cutting when Lyonnes were not. Romeu said he was “very happy” and relieved.
“You get a sense of release, that it’s off your shoulders, you think about everything it has cost to get this far, and you value having won it even more,” he said.
