ARSENAL are the CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE as Stina Blackstenius scored the only goal to STUN Euro giants Barcelona!
Barcelona were the heavy favourites having won three of the last four Champions League titles and being on for a treble this season.
But Renee Slegers‘ side ended an 18-YEAR wait for an English team to win Europe’s top prize.
Barcelona had hit the bar and were piling on the pressure but super sub Blackstenius slotted home to see Arsenal bring the trophy back to London.
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‘This hurts a lot’
Barcelona star Aitana Bonmati said: “I don’t believe it. I just want to start the game again and do it differently.
“But this is football. This will serve us to come back stronger next year.
“We were not as good as we usually are in the first half. We were more comfortable after the break, but I have to congratulate Arsenal for their performance.
“They had their game plan and they took advantage of their chances.
“Personally, this hurts me a lot. It’s tough. It’s hard looking at the stands and seeing all the supporters.
“It reminds me of Turin (when Barca lost their last final).”
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More from Kim Little
The Arsenal skipper said: “[We have] Different ways of playing – most of times we like to possess the ball, but today we knew that we wouldn’t have the ball as much.”
On the subs, she added: “It is something we speak about a lot. Only 11 can start, but we have an incredible squad and that was shown today.”
Then speaking about winning the trophy, Little said: “I haven’t thought about that yet.
“Obviously it makes it more special and at club level to win that trophy.
“To lift it with Leah [Williamson] whose been a childhood Gunner – it was an incredible moment.”
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Secrets to their success
Arsenal legend Kelly Smith, who is now on the coaching staff, said: “We’ve done a lot of finishing work with them, shooting across the goal, left foot, right foot, headers, getting them into the practice and working in four or five minute blocks.
“Individualised stuff, and it’s paid off.”
About the fans, she added: “I’m sure the Emirates is rocking. I can’t wait to party with the players tonight, get back on the plane and I don’t know what’s expected tomorrow.
“What this team has done this year is phenomenal. We were happy with finishing second in the league but this tops it off.”
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Incredible resilience
Slegers said: “We knew it was going to be a game of momentum shifts.
“We spoke about the first 10-20 minutes we had to get through those.
“They came here very confident because they are a very good team.
“The resilience we showed was incredible.”
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Youngest ever
Arsenal boss Renee Slegers is the YOUNGEST woman to win the Champions League as a manager.
Slegers, 36, has only been the permanent boss for FOUR MONTHS.
What a 2025 for the Dutchwoman.
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‘I am so happy’
Stina Blackstenius was the star as she scored the only goal of the game in Lisbon.
The super sub said: “I can’t believe it. It was such a team performance and I can’t believe we win the Champions League.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet. I am so happy.
“They said I should try and run in behind and try and stretch them but this is a team performance.”
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‘On our A game’
Arsenal legend Kelly Smith – who missed the 2007 final through suspension – admitted she was a bag of nerves.
She said: ““I thought we had the better chances in the second half.
“What a squad this is.
“My nerves were awful in the last 10 minutes. I didn’t play the final in 2007 because of suspension and I had the same feelings today.
“We really believed we could win today if we were on our A game and we were.”
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Match report
Here’s how SunSport’s Sandra Brobbey saw the game:
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More from Williamson
The midfielder also spoke a bit more on how the Gunners stifled Barcelona.
“We changed the gameplan a bit in the week because we wanted to feel more confident and that paid off,” she said.
“In the first half we had chances and I don’t think people believed how good they were. We said ‘second half we just need one chance’ and Stina took it.
“I’m trying not to swear or cry!”
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‘I’m going to cry!’
Leah Williamson was so emotional during her interview!
She said: “I don’t believe it. I am going to cry!
“A lot of this team have been together for a long time and to be able to do it on the biggest day.
“Some people had the game of their lives. I am so happy.”
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More from McCabe
The Irish midfielder added: “The word underdogs got thrown around during the week but we deserved to be in this final.
“We were in it from the start having to qualify for the tournament.
“We had some difficult results in the group stage but we bounced back.
“In the knockout stage we bounced back and kept going and being resilient and persistent.
“We just needed one chance in front of goal today and Stina took it.”
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‘Rode out the storm’
Arsenal midfielder Katie McCabe was jubliant during her interview after the match.
She told TNT Sport: “I’m just in disbelief to be honest. No actually I do believe because Barcelona threw everything at us today and we kept together, rode it out, rode out the storm.
“Then our game changers came on and made sure we got runs in behind and Stina got the goal in the end. Unbelievable.
“To be able to give this to our fans, family, the players that have been here for so long, it is an unbelievable day for the club.”
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The title lift in full
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Champions of Europe!
As they pass the trophies, every Arsenal player is kissing them from academy players to captain Kim Little, who has been with the team since 2008.
Little gets her and Aresnal’s crowning moment with the Champions League song playing and golden confetti flying everywhere, she and Leah Williamson manage to hold it together as they raise it.
“We are the Champions” rings around the stadium upon the trophy lift.
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Trophy presentation
The trophy presentation will now take place. To begin, the officials are passing through the Arsenal players who are lined up on each side and heading up to pick up their medals.
Barcelona players faces etched with sadness as they accept their runner-up medals from officials.
In a brilliant gesture, many Barcelona players send their old teammate Mariona Caldentey congrats as they pass.
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Reactions back home
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Russo speaks after Champions League win
Alessia Russo, who is overcome with all sorts of emotion, said to TNT Sports: “We worked so hard and it just feels amazing.
“We had to suffer a lot, they are a top side. We knew we would have to suffer and there would have to be content not having the ball. When Stina, Beth, Lina came on, everyone, the whole squad wanted this so much.
“It feels surreal. We knew we could win, we knew we had the capabilities and it was just about going and doing it.”
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Champions League recent winners
The duopoly has been ended by Arsenal.
- Arsenal – 2024/25
- Barcelona – 2023/24
- Barcelona – 2022/23
- Lyon – 2021/22
- Barcelona – 2020/21
- Lyon – 2019/20
- Lyon – 2018/19
- Lyon – 2017/18
- Lyon – 2016/17
- Lyon – 2015/16
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Full-time scenes
The majority of the Gunners’ bench rush onto the pitch goes to Blackstenius, who scored the game’s lone goal. There is no mistaking the cries of the 5,000 Arsenal supporters in the stands.
Bonmati is devastated as the trophy is being engraved with Arsenal’s name.
As Gala’s “Freed From Desire” blares across the Estadio Jose Alvalade, Arsenal manager Renee Slegers is among the people dancing around.
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FULLTIME – Arsenal WIN the Champions League
Arsenal have done it.
The improbable has been succeeded as they topple the back-to-back champions thanks to a well-taken goal from substitution Stina Blackstenius to claim their first European title since 2007.
After Jonas Eidevall resigned, Renee Slegers took over as interim manager of Arsenal in October. She had to prove herself until January before being given a full-time position, and she is now lead the Gunners to European success. What a tale
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Arsenal 1-0 Barcelona
96 – Former Barcelona player Caldentey displays excellent game management as she latches onto a cleared ball.
The Spaniard playmaker takes her time, enticing Barca bodies to foul her and so they do.
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Arsenal 1-0 Barcelona
94 – Bonmati floats another corner but again the result is an underwhelming one as Arsenal clear.
Hansen is double-marked as she approaches the box but the danger is ushered away for another corner.
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Arsenal 1-0 Barcelona
91 – Russo comes off as Wubben-Moy joins the party to strength up the Gunners backline in numbers.
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Arsenal 1-0 Barcelona
90 – Mead’s treatment has allowed for Renée Slegers to offer up some additional advice as the tension increases.
Mead is fine as play restarts with Blackstenius charging in on the Barca goal but clips an effort wide.
Seven minutes added on.
