Women's Champions League final facts: Barcelona vs Lyon

Holders Barcelona aim to retain the UEFA Women's Champions League trophy for the first time when they come up against Lyon, seeking their ninth title, as San Mamés in Bilbao plays host to a repeat of the 2019 and 2022 finals.

Les Lyonnaises secured a sixth Women's Champions League victory in seven seasons with a 3-1 success against Barcelona in the Turin showpiece two years ago, courtesy of three goals in the opening 33 minutes from Amandine Henry, Ada Hegerberg and Catarina Macario. The Spanish side were unable to respond despite pulling one back through Alexia Putellas just before half-time.

That maintained Lyon's winning record against Barça, having triumphed in all four meetings against the Catalan club in this competition.

The French side also raced into a convincing lead in the 2019 final in Budapest, leading by four goals 30 minutes in via a quickfire Hegerberg hat-trick after Dzsenifer Marozsán’s fifth-minute opener. Substitute Asisat Oshoala hit an 89th-minute consolation for Lluís Cortés' Barcelona.

Lyon also progressed 3-1 on aggregate against Barcelona in the 2017/18 quarter-finals (2-1 h, 1-0 a) with Marozsán (44) and Hegerberg (80) on target either side of Patricia Guijarro's 72nd-minute equaliser in the first-leg success. Eugénie Le Sommer (62) struck the only goal of the return in Spain.

This season Barça booked their place in a fourth successive Women's Champions League final, and fifth in six years, thanks to a 2-1 aggregate semi-final victory against Chelsea, Aitana Bonmatí and Fridolina Rolfö's penalty overturning a first-leg deficit (0-1 h, 2-0 a).

Lyon reached their 11th European final – extending their competition record – thanks to a 5-3 aggregate defeat of domestic rivals Paris Saint-Germain in the last four (3-2 h, 2-1 a).

The Blaugrana, appearing in their fifth final in this competition, claimed the Women's Champions League title for the first time with a comprehensive 4-0 victory against Chelsea in Gothenburg in 2021 and overturned a two-goal deficit against Wolfsburg to triumph 3-2 in last year's Eindhoven final.

Lyon have lifted the trophy in each of their last six final appearances since a 1-0 defeat by Wolfsburg in London in 2013. They have been victorious in eight of their last nine finals after losing in their first, 6-7 on penalties to Turbine Potsdam following a goalless draw in Getafe in 2010.

Players to watch

Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

The 30-year-old's goal in the 3-1 final defeat to Lyon in May 2022 was her 11th in that season's competition, ensuring she ended as the competition's leading scorer.

The midfielder has played every minute of the last three meetings between these sides having come on as a 75th-minute substitute in Barcelona's 2-1 first-leg defeat in the 2017/18 quarter-final.

Putellas converted a 14th-minute penalty and provided the assist for Aitana Bonmatí's strike in the 4-0 defeat of Chelsea in the 2021 final.

The Spanish international is among five players to have appeared in all four of Barcelona's finals in this competition, along with Bonmatí, Mariona Caldentey, Mapi León and Sandra Paños.

Ada Hegerberg (Lyon)

The 28-year-old has scored five times in her four appearances against Barcelona, including three in the 4-1 final success in 2019.

Hegerberg also provided the assist for Macario's goal in the 3-1 final victory versus the Blaugrana in 2022.

Only Conny Pohlers (eight) has scored more final goals than Hegerberg's six.

The Norwegian international returned as a 77th-minute substitute in the 6-0 league home win against Stade de Reims on 12 May after two months out with a calf injury.

Key facts

Barcelona

Barça are only the second side to reach four successive finals in this competition, after Lyon's five between 2016 and 2020.

The Spanish side are aiming to be the third team to lift the Women's Champions League trophy on three occasions, after Lyon (eight) and Frankfurt (four).

The Blaugrana could become the fourth club to retain the Women's Champions League after Umeå, Lyon and Wolfsburg.

The nine-time Spanish champions became the first team to reach the final of this competition despite a first-leg home loss in their semi-final since Frankfurt and Turbine Potsdam in 2005/06.

The Liga F side's only previous Women's Champions League match at the Estadio de San Mamés was a 1-0 quarter-final success against Atlético de Madrid in 2019/20.

Jonatan Giráldez's team have lost only one of their last 17 European games (W14 D2).

Lyon

OL have won all eight of there Women’s Champions League fixtures against Spanish opposition.

Lyon have also been victorious in six of their seven European games in Spain.

Les Lyonnaises' only failure to win in a European fixture on Spanish soil came in the 2010 final in Getafe, when they were defeated on penalties by Turbine Potsdam after a 0-0 draw.

This will be the Division 1 Féminine club's third Women's Champions League fixture at the Estadio de San Mamés. They won twice at the ground in 2019/20, overcoming Bayern München 2-1 in the last eight before a 1-0 semi-final success versus Paris Saint-Germain.

Lyon are the leading scorers in this season's competition with 36 goals – their best return since scoring 38 in 2017/18.

Sonia Bompastor's side have found the net at least twice in each of their last 11 European matches.

Hegerberg is aiming to become the first player to score in five finals.