Arsenal Women 1 – 0 Barcelona Women

Stina Blackstenius’ second-half strike stunned Barcelona as Arsenal beat them 1-0 to win the Women’s Champions League final in Lisbon.

Pere Romeu’s side were heavy favourites heading into the game, having won three of the last four European titles. But Arsenal have been the comeback queens in this season’s competition, already knocking out record title-winners Lyon in the semi-finals.

Since then though, the Gunners had shipped 13 goals in their last three WSL games of the season, but they kept a clean sheet when it mattered with Daphne van Domselaar back in goal to lift the trophy. They remain the only English side to have won the Women’s Champions League, and the first to do so since their maiden title in 2007.

And while the entire team will go down in the club’s history, it was Blackstenius’ 75th-minute strike that led the Gunners to glory. She picked up a reverse pass from fellow substitute Beth Mead and finished across goal.

It was the second time Arsenal had the ball in the net, but the first was ruled out for offside. Irene Paredes turned a Frida Maanum cross into her own net, but VAR checked the goal and found an offside in the build-up.

Arsenal had the better openings of the first half – Maanum also forcing a fine save from Cata Coll – but Barcelona dominated after the break in both possession and chances.

Claudia Pina pinged an effort off the crossbar early on, with former Man Utd full-back Ona Batlle also going close.

But it was Blackstenius’ goal that saw the underdogs win the day, breaking Lyon and Barcelona’s stranglehold on the Women’s Champions League title – the first team to win the trophy outside of the big two since Frankfurt in 2015.

Arsenal will now go directly into the next season’s league phase alongside Chelsea, saving them from a qualifying round that would have been played by virtue of their second-placed WSL finish.

More to follow…