Barcelona vs Lyon Women's Champions League final preview: Where to watch, kick-off time, line-ups

Barcelona play Lyon in the 2024 UEFA Women's Champions League final on Saturday 25 May at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao.

Where to watch the Women's Champions League final on TV?

Fans can find their local UEFA Women's Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.

What do you need to know?

Holders Barcelona are taking on the club that have proved their (and so many other teams') nemeses in this competition, eight-time champions Lyon. Two of OL's last three titles have come against Barcelona, the French side triumphing 4-1 in the Budapest final five years ago and 3-1 as underdogs in the 2022 Turin showpiece. They also beat Barça home and away in the 2017/18 quarter-finals, the last time the Catalan outfit failed to reach at least the semis.

This is Lyon's 11th final overall, all since 2010, while Barcelona have made it to their fourth decider in a row, and fifth in six seasons. The holders have prevailed twice so far, defeating Chelsea 4-0 in Gothenburg in 2021 and battling back from 2-0 down at half-time last year to edge Wolfsburg 3-2 in Eindhoven.

For much of the season, this pair have seemed set for another high-stakes encounter, especially when the draw put them on opposite sides of the knockout bracket. Barcelona strolled through their group, the only side to finish first of their section in all three seasons under this format, then saw off Brann before proving they had lost none of their bouncebackability from last year's final, overcoming a 1-0 home loss to Chelsea in their semi by winning 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Defender Mapi León has a long-term absentee but passed a fitness test and is a substitute today, and her team-mates will doubtless be full of self-belief as they vie to retain their crown. They will also be aiming to give Washington Spirit-bound Jonatan Giráldez the perfect send-off by catapulting him into the elite club of coaches with two titles in this competition.

Lyon's Sonia Bompastor has that same target in her sights, having two years ago masterminded the victory against Barcelona that made her the first person to win this competition as a player and head coach.

On the personnel front, meanwhile, Wendie Renard – who succeeded Bompastor as captain – has taken part in all ten of Lyon's previous finals and their eight triumphs. Fellow eight-time winner Eugénie Le Sommer is injured, however, as is Sara Däbritz, while Griedge Mbock Bathy has not played in a month though is on the bench. On the plus side, Ada Hegerberg has returned to action after two months out and will be hoping to score in a fifth separate final.

Lyon have reached Bilbao unbeaten, drawing twice in the group stage but defeating both Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain home and away in the knockout phase. Most impressively, they turned around a 2-0 deficit with ten minutes remaining at home to their French rivals in the semi-finals, winning 3-2 in a comeback even swifter than Barcelona managed in last year's final.

Both these teams lifted trophies last week, Lyon beating Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 in the French league play-off final and Barcelona defeating Real Sociedad 8-0 to clinch the Copa de la Reina.

Starting line-ups

Barcelona: Coll; Bronze, Paredes, Engen, Rolfö; Bonmatí, Walsh, Guijarro; Graham Hansen, Paralluelo, Caldentey

Lyon: Endler; Carpenter, Renard, Gilles, Bacha; Horan, Egurrola, Van de Donk; Diani, Dumornay, Cascarino

View from the camps

Jonatan Giráldez, Barcelona coach: "We are super proud of what we've achieved this season, but I'm also proud of how my years in charge have gone. To end up with the chance to play a Champions League final in San Mamés with so many fans up from Barcelona, with the world watching, is very special indeed. We live to win here. That's what we are obliged to do. We've done everything we can, between us, to prepare well to win this final."

Sonia Bompastor, Lyon coach: "We are a team that has won a lot in the past. But we remain really ambitious. This Barcelona is different from the one we faced in the final two years ago. They have made new signings and each final brings with it a different story. It will be a totally different game tomorrow. But I trust my players; I know there is all the individual and collective talent needed to achieve this goal."

Expert predictions

Graham Hunter, Barcelona reporter
Perhaps, given their imperious form over recent seasons, neutrals will view holders Barcelona as favourites for this final. It's a status that they're capable of coping with, perhaps even confirming. But it's not a good guide to look only at how they've swept the board domestically – and how they now stand to complete a treble if they win at San Mamés.

In Europe, this team have had to work much harder for glory, despite superb players including Aitana Bonmatí, Fridolina Rolfö and Caroline Graham Hansen. Their signature performances have included feats of defying adversity, such as their comeback in last year's showpiece and their turnaround at Stamford Bridge in this season's semis.

Talented, fun to watch, technically gifted – all these, yes. But characterful, resourceful and very well coached too. Bring on the final!

Vanessa Tomaszewski, Lyon reporter
As already mentioned, Lyon have had the upper hand in Champions League finals against Barcelona in the past. Will that give them the edge here?

Bompastor's team have a score to settle: last year they were eliminated by Chelsea and it was Barça who lifted the trophy. This season, Lyon are unbeaten in the competition and can rely on talents like Kadidiatou Diani (the competition’s top scorer) and Melchie Dumornay, as well as the experience of Hegerberg and Renard. Meanwhile it will be a particularly special occasion for midfielder Damaris Egurrola, who came through the ranks in Bilbao.

This final promises to be epic and will no doubt showcase the best of European women's football!

Form guide (most recent first)

Barcelona
Last six games (most recent result first): WWWWWW
Last match: Barcelona 8-0 Real Sociedad 0-8, 18/05, Copa de la Reina final
Domestic season: Spanish Liga champions, Copa de la Reina winners, Spanish Super Cup winners

Lyon
Last six games (most recent result first): WWLWWW
Last match: Lyon 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain, 17/05, French league play-off final
Domestic season: French League champions, French Super Cup winners

Where is the 2024 UEFA Women's Champions League final being played?

San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao will stage the 2024 Women's Champions League final on Saturday 25 May, at 18:00 CET.

The 50,000-plus capacity home of Bilbao's Athletic Club was built on the site of the old San Mamés, replacing the 100-year-old arena of the same name in 2013. Athletic Club women's team have played several games in the new stadium, attracting 48,121 fans for a 2019 cup tie against Atlético de Madrid, at the time a Spanish record.