Excellent in efficiency and collective strength, the Lyonnaises continued their spot at the top of world women’s football on Saturday by showing no mercy against defending champion Barcelona (3-1) to win their 8th Champions League in 10 finals, Saturday in Torino.
In the thrilling heat of Turin’s huge colorful stadium blaugranait was really the red and blue of Lyon that resulted in the victory, thanks to the start of the meeting as clinical and confusing, with three goals recorded in the first 33 minutes, three flashes enough to suddenly break the Catalan base and all. his assurances.
The almost perfect night of the Lyonnaises, however, could not diminish the dimension of success achieved by Amandine Henry, Ada Hegerberg and Catarina Macario, scorers, against a Barça logically presented as the grandissime favorite, steamroller who did not know the losing only once in their last 49 games, for 48 wins.
The big score, recorded from the half-time mark, will not detract from the range of the eighth European title for the Rhone club, the 5th in 6 years for Canadian Kadeisha Buchanan.
At their lowest in a year after losing their continental and national crowns to Barça and Paris SG, Lyon have recovered very well after twelve months.
With this new trophy in C1, achieved with difficulty – defeat in the quarter -final first leg against Juventus, dangerous qualification against PSG in the half – OL is once again tasting its continental supremacy, perhaps never discussed like these two years, of PSG in France and of Barça in Europe.
Happiness is likely to continue, as OL, with French D1 leader five points ahead of Parisiennes, are two games away from the celebration of the 15th national title that seems promised to them.
History will also remember that it was OL, a pioneer club in investment and consideration granted to its women’s section, that won this pivotal edition of the Champions League, the first in a group stage, also the first to the meetings were all on television.
The first, above all, was to gather the huge crowd at the stadium, with more than 585,000 spectators throughout the competition. 32,257 spectators attended the final.
On the lawn, the players rose to the occasion, with a jewel signed by Henry from the 6th minute, a massive long shot into the skylight; then a classy cross from Bacha successfully led by Hegerberg (23rd), top scorer in competition history with 59 goals in 60 games.
Macario added to the score at the end of a good move (33rd), eight minutes before Alexia Putellas reduced the score, unable to find fault again despite continued pressure in the second half.
The Barcelona captain, a superstar in his country since his Ballon d’Or in the autumn, finished the competition as the only top scorer with 11 victories.
A distinction he certainly exchanged without remorse for victory at this European summit, already elevated to the rank of classic.
Source: Radio-Canada
