Lyon challenge Potsdam for women's crown

Holders 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam face Olympique Lyonnais for the second UEFA Women's Champions League final running at Craven Cottage on Thursday night.

A year ago Lyon were the first French team to play at this stage but lost 7-6 on penalties following a goalless 120 minutes in Getafe, giving Potsdam their second title and Germany's sixth in the nine seasons of UEFA competition. This term, though, Lyon have been irresistible, winning all 21 of their Division 1 Féminine games so far. Since the 2010 final they have also signed the likes of Camille Abily, Sonia Bompastor and Eugénie Le Sommer, while top scorer Lotta Schelin, injured 12 months ago, is available this time.

Patrice Lair's squad also includes experienced Norway midfielder Ingvild Stensland, fit after a back injury which has prevented her playing since December. Lair, who took charge after the 2010 loss to Potsdam, said: "I have only watched a few bits of last year's final on video and I saw the German Cup final and Potsdam's semi-final second leg. I am fully focused on my team now, so we are technically and tactically prepared to win the final. We have a system and so far it has worked well."

Lair dismissed any idea that his team have had it easy this season. "The wins in the championship were not that easy, especially in periods when we had to play European matches and sometimes played five games in 14 days," he said. "We had tough opponents in the Champions League like Arsenal, so I think we are prepared for the final. Potsdam have talented players and are a good, well-organised, quality side."

Potsdam's veteran coach Bernd Schröder is hoping for a third European title after last season and 2005, when Jennifer Zietz, Viola Odebrecht and Anja Mittag, as now, were in the lineup. He is confident of fielding nine-goal European leading scorer Yuki Nagasato, who hurt her knee playing for Japan against the United States last week. "She will play and also her personal mentality means that she is so focused on the match that she will give everything, even if she is carrying an injury," Schröder said.

Turbine clinched a third straight domestic championship in March, since when their German national-team players have mainly been away from the club preparing for the FIFA Women's World Cup on home soil. It was certainly a good season but Schröder knows Lyon present an even stiffer test than a year ago. "We've got stronger, but Lyon have also got much stronger," he said. "We are very well prepared, in general the quality of the women's game has improved a lot – that will be good for the fans to see some quality football."

In fact, Schröder's main concern is the spread of volcanic ash that closed airports in northern Germany for a spell on Wednesday. "We hope that our fans will get here," the coach said. "We've heard that some flights have been cancelled, so it might be only ten instead of 10,000! The weather conditions are good here and I think we are going to have a very good game tomorrow."