Arsenal forward Stina Blackstenius on Saturday struck a late winner as the London team shocked holders Barcelona 1-0 to claim their second UEFA Women’s Champions League title and first in 18 years to the delight of their 5,000 traveling 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.
Photo: AFP
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,” she said. “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.
Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright said the women’s team have saved the north London club.
“The ladies have saved the club. We’ve got something to celebrate,” Wright said, adding that Arsenal should hold a parade in north London for their Champions League win.
“They have beaten Barcelona in the Champions League; no one gave them a chance. Even I was saying it was going to be tough because they average four goals a game,” he said.
The women “deserve everything they are getting, all the accolades because this is a magnificent achievement,” he added.
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 2024 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.
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