Barcelona wins Women's Champions League with 3-2 comeback vs. Wolfsburg
Patricia Guijarro scored twice inside three minutes as Barcelona staged a stunning second-half comeback to beat Wolfsburg, 3-2, in the Women’s Champions League final on Saturday at PSV Stadium.
Fridolina Rolfö capped the Barcelona fightback by calmly firing into the far corner of the net after a mix-up in the Wolfsburg defense to make it 3-2 in the 70th minute.
Wolfsburg led 2-0 at the break thanks to goals from Ewa Pajor and Alexandra Popp.
The victory in front of 33,147 fans — a record crowd for a women’s game in the Netherlands — was a second European title for the Catalan team. Barcelona was a finalist in four of the past five years and earned its previous title by routing Chelsea 4-0 in 2021.
Guijarro’s double in the 48th and 50th minutes swiftly overturned a first half in which Wolfsburg’s pressing play and clinical counterattacking gave it a 2-0 lead.
First, the Barcelona midfielder slammed the ball into the roof of the net in the 48th. Aitana Bonmatí then made room for herself on the right before crossing for Guijarro to head past Merle Frohms for the equalizer. Guijarro was named player of the match.
It was a remarkable turnaround for coach Jonatan Giráldez’s Barcelona after trailing 2-0 at halftime.
Wolfsburg took the lead inside three minutes when tournament top scorer Pajor robbed Lucy Bronze of the ball close to the Barcelona penalty area and fired a powerful shot that goalkeeper Sandra Paños touched but could not stop from flying in. The goal improved Pajor’s tally in the competition to nine.
Bronze returned to the Barcelona lineup for the first time since she was injured in the semifinal first leg against Chelsea and underwent knee surgery. She earned her fourth Champions League crown after winning it three years in a row with Lyon.
Irene Paredes clasped her hands to her face when she squandered a great chance to equalize 10 minutes later, heading wide at the far post a corner from the right by María Pilar León.
Wolfsburg doubled its lead when veteran forward Popp ran into space between two defenders and headed a cross from the left by Pajor past Paños from close range in the 37th. Popp equaled Ada Hegerberg's record of scoring in four finals.
Wolfsburg goalkeeper Merle Frohms made sure her team went into the break without conceding by racing off her line in stoppage time to smother an effort by Salma Paralluelo.
But she couldn’t stop Barcelona’s onslaught after the break.
With Barcelona leading and the minutes ticking down, Giráldez brought on two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, who has recently recovered from an ACL injury. Barcelona’s vocal fans in Eindhoven roared as Putellas replaced Bonmatí.
It was Putellas who accepted the trophy from England coach Sarina Wiegman.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
