Sarholz celebrates as Bouhaddi despairs

The slender margins that often separate success and failure were perfectly illustrated by goalkeepers Anna Felicitas Sarholz and Sarah Bouhaddi after the former's 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam pulled off a remarkable penalty shoot-out victory in Getafe to lift the inaugural UEFA Women's Champions League.

Sarholz and her Olympique Lyonnais counterpart Bouhaddi both made fine saves during normal and extra time at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez to keep the scoresheet blank, and initially it appeared as if Bouhaddi would come out on top in the shoot-out as her saves from Jennifer Zietz and Anja Mittag left Lyon on the brink of victory. Sarholz would not be denied, however, blocking efforts from Amandine Henry and Isabell Lehn Herlovsen to set up a famous Potsdam win and leave their 17-year-old goalkeeper pinching herself.

"I'll have to sleep one or two nights to realise what's happened," Sarholz told UEFA.com. "It's just too much to comprehend at the moment. We always believed in ourselves. There were no moments of doubt, or a feeling that we wouldn't make it tonight. I hit the post very hard three or four times to get rid of my anger, but of course you get upset when you are standing there and you can't do anything. The strikers are there to score goals and I'm there to not concede any."

The drama of the penalty shoot-out was compounded when each of the goalkeepers stepped up for their teams' respective eighth kicks although Sarholz – who also saved three penalties in the semi-final shoot-out defeat of FCR 2001 Duisburg – showed few signs of nerves. "What can you think in such a moment?" she asked. "I don't think that much during a penalty shoot-out; I need to concentrate on making saves. It's all about nerves; the pressure is very high. I offered to take one and the team ignored me at first. Then they said: 'Hey, you take the next one,' and I said OK."

Sarholz's excitement was in direct contrast to the dejection felt by her opposite number, Bouhaddi telling UEFA.com: "It's difficult; it's a real disappointment. The team played a great game; it was all down to the penalty kicks so we didn't know what would happen. We must remember only the positive parts of today. It was the first final for the club and we played well."

While Sarholz insisted Potsdam's self-confidence had never wavered, Bouhaddi admitted she expected to be celebrating when Henry stepped up to take Lyon's fourth kick. "We were two goals ahead and when Amandine went to take her shot, I strongly believed because during practice she puts them in. I really thought she would score but the other goalkeeper did her job too. I had a look with our goalkeeping coach to see where their players aim, so I dived to the right side and saved two penalties. But in the end, it's all about fate."

Lyon must shrug off their disappointment quickly as they resume their quest to retain the French league title on Monday, and their goalkeeper is keen to accentuate the positives from their European disappointment. "There have been many good things [from this]; last year we lost in the semi-finals against Duisburg because of inexperience. Tonight we were more mature. We gained experience. It was the club's first final and it can only be positive for the team in the years to come."