Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Women’s Champions League match.
The decisive match of the Women’s Champions League season will be held on Saturday at the stadium in Lisbon. Unlike Barcelona, for whom reaching the final has become almost routine, Arsenal have made it to the title match in dramatic fashion, having eliminated the French champions in the previous round.
Arsenal (women)
Unexpectedly, Arsenal opened their Women’s Champions League semi-final campaign with a defensive lapse at home, allowing Olympique Lyonnais to come away with a 2:1 win. However, in the second leg in France, the London squad produced 1.17 xG and remarkably found the net four times by the 63rd minute. They took full advantage of their one clear opportunity in a tie where they were clear underdogs. Each of the last nine matches involving the squad across all competitions has featured at least three goals — and they are expected to remain dangerous on the break in the final.
Barcelona (women)
The current holders of the Women’s Champions League come into the final on a ten-match winning streak in all competitions. In May alone, Barcelona netted 21 unanswered goals in the Spanish league. These four consecutive victories earned them a seven-point cushion over Real Madrid in the final standings. In the European semi-finals, the squad proved far too strong for Chelsea, winning the tie 8:2 on aggregate. Their leading scorer, Claudia Pina, has recorded 10 goals and 1 assist, putting her well ahead of the top scorers of Arsenal, Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo, with seven goals apiece.
Arsenal (women) vs Barcelona (women) Prediction
In the 2021 Women’s Champions League group stage, Arsenal were unable to put up much of a fight against Barcelona, losing 1:4 and 0:4. With both squads likely to deploy high defensive lines, the final should offer plenty of scoring opportunities.
