Barcelona avenge Lyon defeats to win third women’s Champions League

Barcelona's Spanish midfielder Alexia Putellas raises the trophy in celebration with teammates after winning the UEFA Women's Champions League final between FC Barcelona and Olympique Lyonnais at the San Mames stadium in Bilbao on May 25, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 26 May 2024
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Barcelona avenge Lyon defeats to win third women’s Champions League

  • The defending champions had never beaten the French giants, losing in the 2019 and 2022 finals against them, but finally succeeded in Bilbao
  • Securing their third Champions League trophy from five final appearances, Barcelona demonstrated that they are the new powerhouse of the women’s game

BILBAO, Spain: Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas struck to earn Barcelona their third women’s Champions League trophy, securing a 2-0 triumph over record eight-time winners Lyon on Saturday.

The defending champions had never beaten the French giants, losing in the 2019 and 2022 finals against them, but finally succeeded in Bilbao to compete a spectacular quadruple this season in coach Jonatan Giraldez’s last match in charge.

Bonmati pounced after 63 minutes and substitute Putellas finished the job in stoppage time to avenge Barcelona’s prior defeats by Sonia Bompastor’s side.

Securing their third Champions League trophy from five final appearances across the last six seasons, Barcelona demonstrated that they are the new powerhouse of the women’s game.

“(It’s) a dream day, it is difficult to explain with words the feeling I have now. It is a special moment,” said Giraldez.

“It is one of happiest days of my life.”

Barca’s stars had insisted that this time they were capable of beating Lyon, adding experience and mental strength to their undoubted talent, and so it proved at a packed San Mames.

Backed by the vast majority of a 51,000 record crowd at a women’s Champions League final, Bonmati and her side completed one of the few challenges remaining to them.

“It’s the first time we’ve beaten Lyon. I’m proud of the team, and we know that with these fans we have, we can’t fail,” Bonmati told DAZN.

“It’s incredible what we’re living through as a team, I’m so lucky... to see we’re creating that for so many people, the historic amount of fans we’ve brought, it’s the proudest I’ve felt, I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

Giraldez started Mariona Caldentey in attack and moved Fridolina Rolfo to left-back, dropping Ona Batlle to the bench alongside two-time Ballon d’Or winner Putellas.

Lyon left Ada Hegerberg started on the bench too, with the all-time top scorer in the competition’s history struggling for form after injury.

Lucy Bronze deflected a ball onto her own crossbar and Lyon’s towering captain Wendie Renard hit the outside of the post as Barcelona suffered a couple of early jitters.

After going four goals down by half-time in the 2019 final and three down in 2022, this time the Catalans dug deep to hold it together at the back.

Barca threatened increasingly at the other end. Patri Guijarro, who scored twice in last year’s final against Wolfsburg, broke in for their first big chance after half an hour.

Christiane Endler saved and Selma Bacha cleared the ball off the line after it rebounded back toward goal.

Barca’s Caroline Graham Hansen, in sparkling form this season, gave left-back Bacha a torrid time and had 11-time finalist Renard backpedalling fearfully near the end of the first half, but dragged her shot wide.

Barcelona made their quality count after the hour mark when Bonmati sent them ahead.

The Ballon d’Or winner had been quiet but arrived to collect Caldentey’s clever pass and burst into the area.

Bonmati’s low shot deflected off Vanessa Gilles and flew over the helpless Endler, for her sixth goal of the tournament.

Champions League top goalscorer Kadidiatou Diani curled agonizingly over for Lyon as Bompastor’s side tried to fight back. Hegerberg headed off target as Lyon’s chances ebbed away.

“We have to recognize Barcelona had a great match and deserved to win even though it’s hard to accept it,” said Bompastor, tipped to join Chelsea next season, although she stayed tight-lipped on her future.

“We lacked attacking efficiency, we should have scored a goal.”

Eventually Putellas, on as a late substitute, put on the captain’s armband and settled the game by rifling into the top corner to get Barcelona’s celebrations started early.

“Obviously it’s a dream come true, what we have achieved,” said Putellas after her goal locked in Barcelona’s quadruple.

Bronze who won the competition for the fifth time — including three times with Lyon — praised Putellas.

“She’s the captain of the team, she’s the ‘queen’ of Barcelona for a reason,” said Bronze.

“She’s got the quality to do that in the last minute of the Champions League final when we were up against it at the end and just sealed the win for us.”
 


UK set to host 2035 Women’s World Cup as sole bidder

Updated 6 sec ago
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UK set to host 2035 Women’s World Cup as sole bidder

  • “We are honored to be the sole bidder for the FIFA women’s World Cup 2035,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said
  • “Hosting the first FIFA World Cup since 1966 with our home nations partners will be very special“

LONDON: The United Kingdom appears set to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup after FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Thursday described its interest as the “one valid bid” for the tournament.
England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales announced last month that they would submit a joint bid to host the finals.
England’s men won the World Cup for the first and so far only time when the country hosted the finals in 1966. It has never staged the women’s tournament.
“We are honored to be the sole bidder for the FIFA women’s World Cup 2035,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said in a statement.
“Hosting the first FIFA World Cup since 1966 with our home nations partners will be very special. The hard work starts now, to put together the best possible bid by the end of the year.”
The United States, with the possibility of other countries in the CONCACAF region joining the US, is also poised to be named host of the 2031 Women’s World Cup as the only bid.
Infantino said the tournament will increase from 32 teams to 48 in time for the 2031 World Cup to match the men’s event.
“We received one bid for 2031 and one bid — one valid bid I should add — for 2035,” he added at the UEFA Congress in Belgrade. “The 2035 bid is from Europe, from the home nations.”
The US hosted the 1999 and 2003 Women’s World Cup.
Brazil will host the 2027 event featuring 32 teams.

FORMAL BIDS
Member associations must formally submit bids to FIFA in the final quarter of this year. The world governing body currently plans to confirm the Women’s World Cup hosts for 2031 and 2035 at the 76th FIFA Congress in the second quarter of next year.
“So, the path is there for the Women’s World Cup to be taking place in ‘31 and ‘35 in some great countries, in some great nations, to boost even more the women’s football movement,” Infantino said.
FIFA said last month that members associated with the Confederation of African Football and CONCACAF were eligible to bid for the 2031 World Cup, while CAF and UEFA member associations could bid for the 2035 tournament.
Reports had suggested Spain, Portugal and Morocco, who are jointly hosting the 2030 men’s World Cup, planned to launch a rival bid for 2035 before Infantino’s comment on Thursday that the UK had the only valid bid.
England’s women’s manager Sarina Wiegman said hosting the tournament will be a big boost to the women’s game.
“It’s the biggest female event we have in the world, that’s so exciting,” she told a press conference on Thursday.
“We know with the experience of the Euros (the women’s European Championships in 2022, which England won) how big the game is already here, and what that momentum did here in the country, but also worldwide.
“So another tournament, even on an even bigger stage, would be incredible, and that will give another boost to the game.”
Expanding to 48 teams will help, the Dutchwoman added on the eve of England’s Nations League game against Belgium.
“It will grow the game again in different countries, because different countries have opportunities to come, because countries are at different stages of their development,” she said. “So it will help empower women in football, women in sport and women in society.”


Sports Council allows Olmo and Victor to play for Barca until end of season

Updated 46 min 9 sec ago
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Sports Council allows Olmo and Victor to play for Barca until end of season

  • LaLiga had lowered Barcelona’s wage cap on Wednesday
  • The CSD said the two players’ registrations remain valid as the RFEF acknowledged that “there is no federation resolution that agreed to the cancelation of the licenses“

BARCELONA: Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD) on Thursday upheld an appeal filed by Barcelona players Dani Olmo and Pau Victor which will allow them to play for the club until the end of the season.
LaLiga had lowered Barcelona’s wage cap on Wednesday after it said the club’s recently revised accounts do not match the end-of-year figures from its previous auditor.
The previous accounts included proceeds from the sale of VIP seats in the renovated Camp Nou which allowed Barca to comply with LaLiga’s Financial Fair Play rules and extend the registration of Olmo and Victor.
LaLiga said Barca did not have the capacity to register the two players based on their accounts, but the CSD annulled the agreement between the Spanish top flight and the country’s football federation (RFEF).
The CSD said the two players’ registrations remain valid as the RFEF acknowledged that “there is no federation resolution that agreed to the cancelation of the licenses” and their decision not to grant a license is “null and void.”
“In any case, the professional careers of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor have been protected since January 8 by the urgent precautionary measure granted by the CSD, with the sole aim of avoiding irreparable harm until this procedure is resolved,” it said.
“In short, for reasons of incompetence, for not having followed the appropriate procedures established in the regulations, and for not being the body authorized to make decisions, the agreement of the Monitoring Committee of the RFEF-LaLiga Coordination Agreement must be considered null and void, and all effects derived from it invalidated.”
In January, the CSD had allowed Barcelona to provisionally register the pair, four days after Spanish football authorities rejected their requests.


Liverpool’s Slot happy to let Premier League title bid take its course

Updated 03 April 2025
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Liverpool’s Slot happy to let Premier League title bid take its course

  • “We are not working on theories about how many points this is, this, this,” said Slot
  • “We are taking the challenge of Fulham on for Sunday, where we have to be at our best again, like yesterday, to get a result”

LONDON: Arne Slot says Liverpool are unconcerned by how soon they can win the Premier League title after going 12 points clear again with victory in Wednesday’s Merseyside derby.
A day after second-placed Arsenal cut the gap to nine points by beating Fulham 2-1 at home, Liverpool responded by defeating Everton 1-0 at Anfield.
Liverpool next face Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
Slot, in his first season as Liverpool manager since succeeding Jurgen Klopp, was asked Thursday how close he felt to clinching the title.
“We are not working on theories about how many points this is, this, this,” said Slot.
“We are taking the challenge of Fulham on for Sunday, where we have to be at our best again, like yesterday, to get a result.
“We’ve played 30 games now. Maybe there were three or four where the score was so clear that in the last 20 minutes it wasn’t a problem anymore. Almost all of our other games have been really tight.
“That probably tells you as well how big of an accomplishment it is that we are 12 points clear at the moment and doing so well.”
Arsenal play Everton at Goodison Park in a Saturday lunchtime kick-off.
“We have more than enough rest for the Sunday game, so it’s not a problem for us,” added Slot.
“But I do feel for Everton, that they play on a Wednesday night and have to have the early kick-off on Saturday.
“The good thing is they play at home and I know how much their fans can influence the game.”
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who missed the Everton game due to concussion, and right-back Conor Bradley are being assessed ahead of Sunday’s fixture. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez remain sidelined.
“With Ali (Alisson), it’s simple,” said Slot. “It’s a concussion and you have to tick all the boxes. The moment he does, he will be in goal. The moment he doesn’t, we are following the protocol.”


Liverpool restore 12-point lead as Jota seals win over Everton

Updated 03 April 2025
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Liverpool restore 12-point lead as Jota seals win over Everton

  • The champions elect, with 73 points after 30 games, restored their 12-point lead over second-placed Arsenal

LIVERPOOL, England: Liverpool continued their march toward the Premier League title with a 1-0 victory over Everton in a scrappy Merseyside derby as Diogo Jota slotted home the winner in the second half on Wednesday.
The champions elect, with 73 points after 30 games, restored their 12-point lead over second-placed Arsenal while Everton, whose nine-game league unbeaten ended, are 15th on 34 points.
Everton’s Beto had an early goal chalked off for offside and missed a sitter before Jota broke the deadlock in the 57th minute with his first goal in two-and-a-half months. Anfield erupted when Luis Diaz back-heeled the ball into Jota’s path and the Portuguese forward beat a tackle before firing into the net.
“Massive, of course,” Jota said summing up the win. “Not only because it is a derby, but because of the (first game since the) international break. It was important to start with three points and hopefully that gives us momentum for the rest of the season.”
Liverpool fans thought Everton should have been reduced to 10 men after 11 minutes following a fierce tackle by defender James Tarkowski on Alexis Mac Allister, but Everton’s captain was only shown a yellow card.
The teams had met in an explosive derby in February that ended 2-2, with Tarkowski equalising deep in stoppage time in a chaotic game that featured four red cards, including one to Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
While Liverpool are unbeaten in 26 league games, they went into last month’s international break on a negative note after being eliminated by Paris St. Germain in the Champions League and losing to Newcastle United in the League Cup final.
Slot’s men looked sluggish and disjointed on Wednesday and Everton could have gone ahead when Beto raced away from defender Virgil van Dijk and beat goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher before hitting his shot against the post.
Kelleher started in goal for Liverpool, with regular starter Alisson recovering from a concussion suffered on international duty with Brazil.
The heated mood in Anfield was cranked up another notch with the contentious early tackle. Tarkowski won the ball but his studs-up follow-through caught Mac Allister square in the calf. VAR confirmed the decision of a yellow card, which gave the center back the joint most yellow cards without being sent off in Premier League history, with 63.
“I thought at the time that it was a brilliant tackle for a derby game,” Everton boss David Moyes said.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville said on the Sky Sports commentary that Tarkowski was very lucky to escape a red card for a tackle that was a “potential leg breaker.”
“We were playing against Everton, they make it very difficult for you,” Van Dijk said. The games we have played against each other over the years have always been tough.
“They have a certain way of playing and you have to be ready for it. The first half wasn’t our greatest but we kept a clean sheet and obviously Jota made a fantastic goal. Three points and we move on.”
Moyes remained without a victory at Anfield in 22 games leading Manchester United, Sunderland and West Ham United as well as his current team.
“Liverpool were the better team, there’s no doubt about that,” Moyes said.
“But I don’t like the goal, I think the goal was offside. I’m really surprised it wasn’t given. Or maybe I’m not surprised. I don’t think many managers come here and think that they get loads of decisions at Anfield generally.”


Newcastle beat Brentford 2-1 with Tonali stunner and Isak’s 20th

Updated 03 April 2025
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Newcastle beat Brentford 2-1 with Tonali stunner and Isak’s 20th

NEWCASTLE, England: Sandro Tonali scored a sensational winner and Alexander Isak took his season’s Premier League goal tally to 20 as Newcastle United beat Brentford 2-1 on Wednesday to boost their bid for a Champions League place.
Tonali struck in the 74th with a goal destined for endless replays, the shot fired in from a tight angle near the right-hand touchline and leaving Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken no chance.
“Honestly, it was 70 percent cross and 30 percent shot,” said the Italian midfielder. “It was difficult for the goalkeeper and difficult also for me. Also a little bit of luck.”
Isak reached his milestone for the second season in a row by prodding home Jacob Murphy’s cross from close range in first-half stoppage time at St. James’ Park after reported Newcastle transfer target Bryan Mbeumo slipped up.
Swedish striker Isak had earlier squandered a golden opportunity by crossing to Harvey Barnes, whose header was ruled offside, instead of shooting directly in a rare moment of indecision.
Mbeumo equalized from the penalty spot in the 66th minute by calmly sending Nick Pope the wrong way for his 15th goal of the campaign after the goalkeeper had brought down Yoane Wissa.
Brentford pressed to the end after Tonali’s goal and came close in stoppage time, with a late penalty claim and VAR check after Mikkel Damsgaard went down with eight extra minutes already on the clock, in a nervy finish for the home crowd.
Damsgaard had also miscued and fired over the bar five minutes earlier.
Newcastle, playing for the first time since they ended a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy with a landmark League Cup triumph at Wembley, are now fifth on 50 points — one behind champions Manchester City and with a game in hand.
Brentford are 11th on 41.
“This win is nice for the Champions League for us, we have a good week and it is perfect for this week,” said Tonali, speaking to Premier League Productions.
“Now we play only for the first five teams, for the Champions League.”
Mbeumo, who has scored all 10 of his 10 penalties, said Brentford had deserved more with Ethan Pinnock also hitting the post with a header in the second half.
“It was a good performance but at the end it was not enough. I think we knew it was going to be a tough game against a very good side and at the end it was a bit frustrating. It is hard to take,” said the Cameroon international.