Barcelona wins its second Champions League after coming back from two goals against Wolfsburg (3-2)

A final as exciting as it was changing crowned Barcelona in Eindhoven. Second Champions League title for the blaugrana, ready to steal the hegemony in Europe from Olympique de Lyon. It was not the final for Alexia Putellas, winner of two Ballon d’Ors, although she had the leading role, basically symbolic. It was the final for Guijarro, Aitana and Graham Hansen and Rolfo, also, of course, Jonatan Giráldez. The coach knew how to rectify the strategy to sign a historic comeback at the Philips Stadion.

Tied to its game script, the one that prioritizes the Dutch school, Barcelona allowed itself to be passed over by Wolfsburg in Eindhoven. Embracing the ball, but without depth, the effectiveness of the Germans left the score 0-2 at halftime. Then, something never seen for the Catalans happened. They gave the Germans a lesson in rebellion, tenacity and aggressiveness. And soccer, of course.

Germany is past in soccer practiced by women -its teams add nine Orejonas, its team eight Europeans and two world-wide- but also present. Germany, in short, never hides. Today, without any better reference than Wolfsburg, a team with a thousand faces, capable of being as distant as close with the ball, intelligent at reading spaces, always competitive. Tommy Stroot chose to wait for Barcelona near the midfield, nor the violent pressure he had sought in the first leg of last season’s semifinal (5-1, at the Camp Nou), nor the refuge near Frohms in the second leg (0 -2). The German coach’s strategy was based on the party ideas that Giráldez imagined. It was not, however, that Oberdorf was shadowing Aitana, much less that Pajor left the area to lean on the left wing to challenge a totem like Lucy Bronze in a one-on-one.

Without the Polish as Wolfsburg’s attack reference, the Barcelona area, then, remained for the symbol of Wolfsburg: Popp. Few players better represent the spirit of German football. The captain of Las Lobas rebels against all misfortune, as tough outside as on the field, versatile and intelligent, she has a magnet in her head. This is how Wolfsburg took advantage of an oversight by Mapi León who, when he wanted to back down, it was already too late and the 11th was alone to send the center of Pajor to the net. 0-2 in 37 minutes. Then, the ghosts of Turin, those who had also harassed Barça in their first Champions League final in Budapest, when Lyon shot the illusion of the Catalans in the first half hour, flew over Eindhoven. He deja vuIn any case, it had started much earlier.

The duel was still getting the hang of it when the experienced Lucy Bronze made a rookie mistake. The Englishwoman, the best player in the world in 2019, winner of two Champions Leagues (Lyon) and a Eurocup, fell asleep precisely before the least indicated Wolfsburg player: Pajor. The Pole, top scorer in this edition of the Champions League (nine), swiped the ball from the side and whipped up, impossible for Sandra Paños.

The challenge was huge for Barcelona. The Catalans had to show, above all show themselves, that they were capable of making fun of adversity. The first blow was made by Giráldez. It was just an emotional move: he sent Alexia Putellas to warm up. The Barcelona fans, in silence, after the two slaps from Wolfsburg, stood up when she saw their captain wave her arms in search of breath.

Giráldez, in any case, had one more movement in his head. And he did it without stirring anything. He only castled pieces: Mariona for Salma. Paralluelo went on to play inside, while the footballer trained at La Masia opened up on the left wing. The key, however, was to overtake Guijarro and Aitana, as well as to focus on Graham Hansen. In the first half, what usually happens to Giráldez’s girls happened: a lot of possession, some occasions, zero effectiveness. In fact, the centers of the azulgranas that did not find recipients in the area were repeated.

Giráldez’s movement worked. And how did it work for you? The ball, first, had to go through Graham Hansen. As with those types of super powers only suitable for Marvel comics, the Norwegian has two faces, one on and one off the field. In the first discreet and silent; the second, omnipresent and noisy. The 10 sneaked into Rauch and the Wolfsburg area was no longer empty of Barça shirts. Patri Guijarro appeared to sign the 1-2. But the midfielder, who, like Graham Hansen, is not very fond of the showcase, had something else to say, precisely, in the greatest showcase of women’s football: the Champions League final. Again on the right wing, this time from Aitana’s right boot, the cross came out for Guijarro to tie the game after a header.

There were no doubts in Eindhoven: Barcelona had woken up and wanted to recover what Lyon had taken from them in Turin, the European title. In any case, the final blow was missing. And it came. But it came as all the Barça goals came at the Philips Stadion. The Catalans were not trapped in patience and rhetoric with the ball, but with the impetus to recover the leather, essentially the aggressiveness to attack. Mariona bit at the beginning of Wolfsburg’s play and Rolfo, attentive, fished the ball at the door of the small area to take a powerful shot that sealed Barcelona’s comeback.

But Barça’s joy was missing an invisible goal, as important for the team as the two scored by Guijarro and the one by Rolfo: the presence of Alexia Putellas. The captain, for the first time this season, took the field in the Champions League after overcoming the injury to her left knee. Then yes. The Barça party was complete. For Putellas, of course, but above all for Barcelona that once again touches the sky of Europe.

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