Lyon matched Real Madrid’s five European titles in a row and claimed their seventh overall as they held off a Wolfsburg fightback to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League final in San Sebastián.
A very familiar-looking final ended in a very familiar manner thanks to a very familiar face, as French champions Lyon edged out their German opponents to make it five Women’s Champions League titles in a row. The final blow for the French side was struck by Sara Björk Gunnarsdottir, who played for Wolfsburg earlier in the competition.
That three of those five final wins have come against Wolfsburg is no mark of disrespect to the Women’s Bundesliga winners, Jean Luc Vasseur’s team are simply a class above the rest of the women’s game, as they proved for large stretches on Sunday.
The holders, despite missing several key players, attacked from the off with Delphine Cascarino devastating on the right. Her cutback on 25 minutes was struck in by Eugénie Le Sommer, up front for the suspended Nikita Parris and scoring in her third final. Just before the break, Cascarino then worked a cross to Amel Majri, who laid off for Saki Kumagai to strike from distance.
Le Sommer went close twice after the break, but Wolfsburg responded when Fridolina Rolfö’s cross was spilt by Sarah Bouhaddi, allowing Ewa Pajor to cross and Alex Popp to head in. Wolfsburg gave their all but were undone at the end when Le Sommer’s strike was flicked in by a player signed from the German champions last month, Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir.
Wolfsburg: Abt; Blässe (Bremer 78), Goessling, Doorsoun-Khajeh (Hendrich 39), Janssen; Huth (Wolter 61), Syrstad Engen, Popp, Rolfö; Harder, Pajor (Oberdorf 61)
Lyon: Bouhaddi; Bronze, Buchanan, Renard, Karchaoui; Gunnarsdóttir, Kumagai; Cascarino (Van de Sanden 87), Marozsán (Taylor 87), Majri; Le Sommer
