Uefa Women's Champions League finalists: Arsenal v Barcelona

Arsenal will play Barcelona in the Uefa Women's Champions League final at the Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon on Saturday, here we introduce the contenders.

Arsenal v Barcelona: Previous meetings

2021/22 group stage: Barcelona 4-1 Arsenal, Arsenal 0-4 Barcelona

2012/13 round of 32: Barcelona 0-7 agg Arsenal (first leg 0-3, second leg 0-4)

First named team at home in opening game of two-legged tie

Arsenal (ENG)

Uefa coefficient ranking (end of 2023/24): 7

How they qualified: Third place in England; W6-0 h v Rangers, W1-0 h v Rosenborg, W4-1agg v Häcken (L0-1 a, W4-0 h)

Group stage: Group C winners (L2-5 a v Bayern München, W4-1 h v Vålerenga, W4-0 a v Juventus, W1-0 h v Juventus, W3-1 a v Vålerenga, W3-2 h v Bayern München)

Quarter-finals: W3-2agg v Real Madrid (L0-2 a, W3-0 h)

Semi-finals: W5-3agg v Lyon (L1-2 h, W 4-1 a)

Top scorers (group stage onwards): Mariona Caldentey, Alessia Russo (7)

Last season: Round 1 final

Domestic honours: 15 x League champions, 14 x Cup winners

Previous European best: Winners (2006/07)

Final record: W1 L0

Previous final

2006/07: W1-0agg v Umeå (W1-0 a, D0-0 h)

Campaign in a nutshell

Arsenal have produced some memorable comebacks over the years and that has been the story of this campaign as well. After getting past Round 1 (where they fell to Paris FC last season), the Gunners then overturned a first-leg deficit against Häcken to reach the group stage, which they kicked off with a 5-2 loss at Bayern München.

Renée Slegers subsequently took over from Jonas Eidevall as coach and her side won their remaining five group fixtures, edging Bayern 3-2 on Matchday 6 to snare first place. And although they lost their quarter-final opener 2-0 at Real Madrid, Arsenal roared back to win 3-0 at home, Russo striking either side of a Mariona Caldentey header early in the second half.

It seemed the semi-finals would be a bridge too far after Slegers' charges lost 2-1 at home to Lyon in the first leg. Instead, Arsenal produced arguably the most impressive result of the lot as they turned on the style to stun the eight-time champions 4-1 in France, a 5-3 aggregate victory securing their place in the final for the first time since 2007.

Coach: Renée Slegers

Slegers enjoyed a successful playing career, winning more than 50 caps with the Netherlands and playing briefly for Arsenal at youth level before later spells with Willem II, Djurgården and Linköping. However, the knee injury that ended her career at the age of 29 also denied her a place in the Netherlands squad that won Women's Euro 2017 on home soil.

After retirement, Slegers qualified as a coach in Sweden and took charge of Limhamn Bunkeflo in 2018, while also scouting for the Netherlands at the 2019 Fifa Women's World Cup.

After briefly becoming Sweden Under-23 coach in 2021, she was appointed assistant to Eidevall at Rosengård, later taking charge of the club when he moved to Arsenal. Having clinched Swedish titles in 2021 and 2022, Slegers left Rosengård in April 2023 and became Eidevall's No 2 at Arsenal five months later, earning promotion after his October 2024 departure – initially as caretaker then permanently in January.

Did you know?

Against Madrid, Arsenal became only the second team to overturn a two-goal first-leg deficit in the quarter-finals – matching their own feat against Torres in 2004/05. In the semis, they then became the fourth side to progress despite losing a home first leg, after Barcelona last season and both Frankfurt and Turbine Potsdam in 2005/06.

Barcelona (ESP, holders)

Uefa coefficient ranking (end of 2023/24): 1

How they qualified: Holders, Spanish champions

Group stage: Group D winners (L0-2 a v Man City, W9-0 h v Hammarby, W7-0 h v St. Pölten, W4-1 a v St. Pölten, W3-0 a v Hammarby, W3-0 h v Man City)

Quarter-finals: W10-2agg v Wolfsburg (W4-1 a, W6-1 h)

Semi-finals: W8-2agg v Chelsea (W4-1 h, W4-1 a)

Top scorer: Clàudia Pina (10)

Last season: Winners

Domestic honours: 10 x League champions, 10 x Cup winners

Previous European best: Winners (2020/21, 2022/23, 2023/24)

Final record: W3 L2

Previous finals

2024: W2-0 v Lyon (Bilbao)

2023: W3-2 v Wolfsburg (Eindhoven)

2022: L1-3 v Lyon (Turin)

2021: W4-0 v Chelsea (Gothenburg)

2019: L1-4 v Lyon (Budapest)

Campaign in a nutshell

Something odd happened on Matchday 1: Barcelona lost, beaten 2-0 by an excellent Man City performance. However, seven days later, they put nine goals past a Hammarby side who had knocked out Benfica and beaten St. Pölten on Matchday 1 and from there the holders cruised through with little fuss.

Still, going into Matchday 6, Barça needed to 'overturn' their 2-0 loss at City in the rematch to finish first but they looked comfortable in a 3-0 win, becoming the only team to top their group in all four seasons under this format.

Wolfsburg awaited in the quarter-finals and the tie was effectively ended as a contest in the away leg, the reigning champions prevailing 4-1 before they cruised to a 6-1 win at home to seal progression. Two more 4-1 wins followed in each leg as Barcelona then eliminated Chelsea in a third semi-final running, putting in a commanding pair of displays to book their place in yet another showpiece.

Coach: Pere Romeu

Romeu was a defensive midfielder as a player with amateur side Sarrià, where he also began coaching at youth level. He then became a youth coach at L'Hospitalet, before being recruited by Barcelona in 2017.

At La Masia, Romeu assisted Sergi Milà at Under-16 and U17 level, before taking his first senior role as number two to Rubén de la Barrera during his brief spell at Romania's Viitorul Constanța in 2020.

Romeu returned to Barcelona in 2021 as assistant to new women's coach Jonatan Giráldez, winning 10 trophies over three seasons, including two Champions League titles. When Giráldez decided to move on after the 2023/24 season, Romeu was promoted to replace him. 

Did you know?

Barça have equalled Lyon's record by reaching five finals in a row and now hope to become only the second team, after OL, to win this competition at least three times in succession. This will be Barcelona's 100th European game, their first two having been Round of 32 losses to Arsenal in 2012/13.

Cup winners refers only to main FA national cup in each country.