Arsenal stun Barcelona to win Women’s Champions League with late Blackstenius goal

LISBON (Agencies): Arsenal forward Stina Blackstenius struck a late winner as the London team shocked holders Barcelona 1-0 on Saturday to claim their second Women’s Champions League title and first in 18 years to the delight of their 5,000 travelling fans. Arsenal withstood a flurry of Barca chances before Blackstenius broke the deadlock in the 75th minute. The Sweden international latched onto fellow substitute Beth Mead’s reverse pass in a crowded area and fired a low diagonal shot past goalkeeper Catalina Coll at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. Renee Slegers’ Gunners, making their second appearance in the final having won Europe’s top club competition in 2007, held on to win against a Barca side going for a third straight Champions League title.

“Amazing,” Arsenal forward Alessia Russo told TNT Sports through tears. “We had to suffer a lot. “They’re a top side. We knew coming into this game that we’d have to suffer and there would be moments when we wouldn’t have the ball and we would have to be content and happy with not having the ball knowing our moment would come. “Our squad just wanted it so badly.” The Arsenal players stood arm-in-arm in front of their red-clad fans after the final whistle singing along to Queen’s “We are the Champions”. The win comes against a mighty Barcelona team considered on paper to be the best in the world. Barca midfielder Aitana Bonmati called the loss “absolutely devastating.” “I don’t believe it,” the 2023 and ’24 women’s Ballon d’Or winner told Catalan TV. “I just want to start the game again and do it differently. Personally, this hurts me a lot.” Barcelona were playing in their sixth final in seven years and had hoisted the trophy in three of the past four campaigns. Saturday’s reverse was just their fourth loss of the season across all competitions.

HUGE UNDERDOGS:

Arsenal might have arrived as huge underdogs but had proved in their comeback win over Lyon in the semi-finals — they lost 2-1 at home before roaring back with a 4-1 away victory in the second leg — that they were not afraid of that tag. They almost went ahead in the first half when Frida Maanum sprang free on the right wing and Barca defender Irene Paredes slid to divert her low cross into the net for an apparent own goal. However, a VAR check showed Maanum was offside. Arsenal’s defence stood strong as Barcelona had 20 attempts to the Gunners’ eight, including two long-range Ona Batlle shots that sailed just over the bar, as well as 12 corners to two.

“We knew it was going to be a game of momentum shifts because we respect Barcelona, we know how good they are on the ball but we also know how good we are,” Slegers told TNT, through a voice hoarse from celebrating. “So we knew that momentum was going to shift. Maybe other people were thinking something else, but that’s what we believed. In all the phases that happened in the game, the mentality we showed, the resilience we showed, the effectiveness in all our actions, our belief, it was incredible.” Blackstenius almost struck a couple of minutes before her goal but Coll stuck out a leg to stop her shot from 12 metres. Leah Williamson, who was outstanding in defence, was a mascot at Arsenal’s 2007 victory over Sweden’s Umea. “A lot of this team have been together for a long time and to be able to do it on the biggest day, some people had the game of their lives,” she said. “I’m so happy. I’m trying not to swear or cry.”