OL Lyonnes forward Damaris Egurrola captured the draw of her team’s upcoming Champions League final against FC Barcelona. “I think it’s a beautiful game to watch as a fan. If you see Lyon and Barça in the final, I think it’s one of the best games you can wait for,” she said earlier this week.
Indeed, at least one of the two juggernauts played in 15 of the last 25 finals, and between them, they’ve won 12. Both teams have had historic success in the Champions League, but Barcelona’s is more recent, having made it to the last six consecutive finals and won three of them. Lyon has won eight titles, most recently in 2022.
Saturday’s showdown will be the fourth matchup between the two sides in a Champions League Final (2019, 2022, 2024), with Barcelona winning the most recent challenge in 2024 while Lyon came away with the victory in the two prior. Lyon will look to their coach, former Barcelona manager Jonatan Giráldez, to guide them back to the mountaintop.
The matchup in Oslo is rich with storylines. Here’s what to know.
No cakewalk through the semifinals
While no one is surprised these two giants of women’s football made it to the final, it definitely wasn’t a given.
For their part, Barcelona went up 1-0 early in the first leg of its semifinal tie against Bayern Munich. But faced with a defensive masterclass and a potent Pernille Harder, the Catalan women came out of the matchup tied and looking for answers. In the second leg, they proved why they are the favorites, combining for four goals in front of 60,000 fans at Camp Nou.
It is worth noting that Barça and Lyon are leagues ahead of their Liga F and Première Ligue counterparts, respectively, facing little competition most weekends. In the more competitive Champions League, Barcelona often needs time (or an entire game) to adjust their play, such as the first semifinal leg or the final against Arsenal last year. In Oslo, they will not have the benefit of two legs and will have to come out with the fiery, flowing offense we have come to expect from them when they are at their best.
Lyon went down by a goal in the first leg of their semifinal against Arsenal, and felt the absence of Melchie Dumornay as they languished at the Emirates. While there were bright spots in Jule Brand and Kadidiatou Diani hitting the crossbar, Arsenal dominated the second half and Lyon couldn’t find their way back into the game.
Homefield advantage helped out the French side in the second leg, with Dumornay and Brand combining for a beautiful goal in the closing minutes of the game to accompany a well-placed penalty by captain Wendie Renard and a world-class strike by winger Diani. While Arsenal put up a good fight, Lyon stayed in the game and played extremely well on both sides of the ball to seal the victory.
A familiar foe
On Saturday, Barça players will match up against a man they are very familiar with. Giráldez coached Barça for six years, first as an assistant then head coach. He led Barça to consecutive Champions League finals victories in 2023 and 2024.
Barça does not seem intimidated. When asked about facing her former coach, Spanish goalkeeper Cata Coll responded, “He knows us, but we also know him.”
When asked about playing his former team, Giráldez praised the Barça organization. “We know we have to play an almost perfect game because the level of football that will be on the pitch is of the highest level. … I am happy for all of the successes of Barça because I was very happy there,” he said.
Giráldez’s route from Barcelona to Lyon took a short detour. Lyon owner Michele Kang was already the owner of the Washington Spirit when she acquired Lyon in 2023. Kang recruited Giráldez to coach the Spirit starting in July 2024, then he moved to coach Lyon the following summer. Her team securing their bid to the final marks the success of her investment and management of the French side.
Giráldez is not the only one familiar with the Catalan side. Budget shortfalls forced Barça to part with some of their talent this past summer, including Norwegian defender Ingrid Engen. Where did she end up? The cash-rich Lyon.
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A young star announces herself
There is no shortage of big names on both teams featured in the final. Ada Hegerberg, Lindsey Heaps, Wendie Renard, Aitana Bonmatí, Caroline Graham Hansen, Alexia Putellas, and the list goes on.
Yet one name stood out during the semifinals, and all year: Dumornay.
The 22-year-old Haitian footballer was one of Kang’s first acquisitions and has proved her worth at Lyon since 2023. Dumornay played the incredible chipped pass into the box to an oncoming Brand to clinch Lyon’s semifinal victory.
Engen had high praise for her teammate. “She’s such a great player. She’s very difficult to manage because she has this strength, she has the power, she has the technique, she has it all, really,” she said. “She’s an amazing player and I can’t wait to see her shine on Saturday.”
Dumornay has seemed to fit right in at Lyon, both on and off the field.
“Coming to Lyon was a dream and I feel like I’m living that dream,” she said. “I’m very happy and I have teammates that I knew by name and that I now know. … We have a very close-knit group, and I think that’s what [makes] the difference.”
A key player out, another returned
Lyonnais fans woke up on the Monday after the second leg victory to some bad news. It was announced that Diani had gotten knee surgery and would be out for the final. The winger has been integral for Lyon over the course of the season, and especially against Arsenal in both legs. Her performance in the second leg was one of her best in recent memory, as she dominated the right flank and scored the first goal of the game. Lyon will miss her in this weekend’s matchup.
In contrast, Barça supporters have reason to celebrate. Aitana, the club fixture who has won the Ballon d’Or for the last three years, returned from injury during the second leg of the semifinal at Camp Nou. While she has been on restricted minutes, she has the ability to change the game. Aitana makes herself bigger for these moments and enjoys playing in these types of high-stakes games. Barcelona may need her to be the difference maker on Saturday.
The end of one era, and maybe more
Saturday marks the last time Heaps will take the field with Lyon before joining the Denver Summit partway through the NWSL season. The USWNT captain has left her mark on the French side. “She’s an amazing player and person. … She’s a leader. The energy she spreads is very, very important for the team, and also because she understands the game very well,” Giráldez said. “So I’m very happy with her performance, and I will for sure miss her a lot in the future.”
Barça’s longtime midfielder Alexia, or as the fans know her, “La Reina,” faces an uncertain future with her hometown club. Despite having just earned her 500th cap for the club, becoming the second-highest goalscorer in the history of the club trailing only Messi, and putting in dominant performances all UCL season, the two-time Ballon D’Or Winner’s contract is up in June.
Alexia was visibly emotional after Barça won their semifinal—if she leaves the club when her contract ends in June, that will have been her last time playing at Camp Nou. If the fan favorite decides to leave her hometown club, Barça supporters won’t be the only people who will miss having her around.
Alexia is joined by Barça stars Caroline Graham Hansen and Ona Battle in her uncertain future with the club.
Ever the competitor, Alexia remains focused on the challenge ahead. In discussing her future with Barça this week, she didn’t give much away. “My decision right now is about focusing on the immediate future: tomorrow’s training session,” she said. “A moment will come when I’ll have to decide, but it won’t be this week. All my energy is focused on the Champions League final.”
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