Wolfsburg 1-3 Lyon: Women's Champions League final report

Match in brief

Lyon matched Real Madrid's five European titles in a row and claimed their seventh overall as they held off a Wolfsburg fightback to win the UEFA Women's Champions League final in San Sebastián.

The holders, despite missing several key players, attacked from the off with Delphine Cascarino devastating on the right. Her cutback on 25 minutes was struck in by Eugénie Le Sommer, up front for the suspended Nikita Parris and scoring in her third final. Just before the break, Cascarino then worked a cross to Amel Majri, who laid off for Saki Kumagai to strike from distance.

Le Sommer went close twice after the break, but Wolfsburg responded when Fridolina Rolfö's cross was spilt by Sarah Bouhaddi, allowing Ewa Pajor to cross and Alex Popp to head in. Wolfsburg gave their all but were undone at the end when Le Sommer's strike was flicked in by a player signed from the German champions last month, Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir.

Expert view:

Lyon continue to reign supremePOOL/AFP via Getty Images

Verónica Boquete, 2015 winner with Frankfurt
A new victory for Lyon, who continue to reign in Europe: other clubs will have to wait another year. Lyon show the way to success. They have deserved all these titles and maintaining that ambition is the greatest success of this team.

Recognition and admiration also to Wolfsburg for their competitiveness and teamwork; proof if needed of Popp's tireless work in midfield, not her usual position. It was a good final and the best team won – that is a victory for all women's football.

Annike Krahn, 2009 winner with Duisburg
Congratulations to Lyon, once again deserved UEFA Women's Champions League winners! They were particularly dominant in the first half and laid the foundations for victory with their 2-0 half-time lead. Wolfsburg only really got into the game in the second half and they managed to make it interesting by pulling one back before Gunnarsdóttir finished off her former club.

Pernille Harder was rather anonymous in what may be her final game in a Wolfsburg shirt; she struggled to make an impact. Congratulations to Lyon who once again go unbeaten throughout the competition. Winning their fifth title in a row is a remarkable achievement. Respect!

Alex Popp reduced the deficit for WolfsburgPOOL/AFP via Getty Images

Reaction

Jean-Luc Vasseur, Lyon coach: "We were talking about matching records and we've now achieved that because Lyon are at the same historic level as Real Madrid in the 1950s and 60s. [Lyon] had to rewrite history and that process started a few years ago and I do not think they are about to stop any time soon."

Wendie Renard, Lyon captain: "It's hard to be a winner, you have to work extremely hard. You battle year in, year out for this trophy. We're bringing it back – we're bringing it back for the fans."

Sarah Bouhaddi, Lyon goalkeeper: "It's actually quite difficult to believe we have managed our fifth straight title, to be honest. We're super proud of ourselves, it was a very difficult competition ... if you sign for Lyon, you sign up to be a winner."

Lucy Bronze, Lyon defender: "People said it was the best time to play us because we were missing so many players but we were the best side in the first side by a long shot and the game was almost finished at half time. We’ve definitely got the strongest squad in the world."

Stephan Lerch, Wolfsburg coach: "Congratulations to Lyon for defending their title. I am really proud of my team – they really showed spirit after being 2-0 down. In the second half we played with a lot of heart, pulled one back, put them under pressure and it’s a pity we couldn’t equalise and send it to extra time."

Alex Popp, Wolfsburg captain: “We played a great season, we can be proud, and I can proud to be part of this team. In the first half we didn’t manage to impose our game and in the decisive moments didn’t react well. But in the second half we came back really strongly."

Line-ups

Wolfsburg: Abt; Blässe (Bremer 78), Goessling, Doorsoun-Khajeh (Hendrich 39), Janssen; Huth (Wolter 61), Syrstad Engen, Popp, Rolfö; Harder, Pajor (Oberdorf 61)

Lyon: Bouhaddi; Bronze, Buchanan, Renard, Karchaoui; Gunnarsdóttir, Kumagai; Cascarino (Van de Sanden 87), Marozsán (Taylor 87), Majri; Le Sommer

Key stats

• Lyon won their seventh title and fifth in a row, extending their records.
• Lyon's seven wins mean that France are now just two behind Germany's record of nine combined victories.
• Lyon were in their ninth final and set a new record of reaching five in a row (breaking their own best set between 2010 and 2013).
• Sarah Bouhaddi and Wendie Renard were appearing in their ninth finals (one more than men's record holders Paco Gento and Paolo Maldini); Eugénie Le Sommer in her eighth.
• Renard increased her record number of competition appearances to 88.
• Le Sommer became the fifth player to reach 75 competition appearances tonight; Alex Popp was the fourth in the quarter-finals.
• Saki Kumagai is the first Asian player to score in a final.
• Bouhaddi, Renard, Le Sommer and Alex Popp have now played in all of the competition-record eight meetings between Wolfsburg and Lyon.
• Goalscorer Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir joined Lyon last month from Wolfsburg, for whom she featured in their 2018 final loss to OL.
• This season, Lyon became the first club to appear in 100 UEFA women's club competitions games and register 80 wins, while Ada Hegerberg, injured for the August finals, broke Anja Mittag's old record to become all-time top scorer on 53 goals, which took her 50 matches.
• With seven straight victories in 2019/20, Lyon completed only the second perfect season in the competition's history after Umeå's nine-win streak in 2003/04.