The 2023/24 UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign drew to a close on Saturday as Barcelona retained their title with a 2-0 win over eight-time winners Lyon in Bilbao.
After suffering heartbreak against the French club in 2019 and 2022, the Catalan giants finally got their revenge as Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas scored in the second half to finally topple Lyon in a final of the competition.
Saturday’s showpiece event was a fitting finale for what has been another enthralling European campaign. As the standard of the women’s game improves year on year, so too does the competitiveness of the competition.
Here’s 90min’s UWCL team of the season.
Despite Lyon’s agonising defeat in the final, goalkeeper Christiane Endler has been one of the most consistent in her position this season. She made a handful of important stops in the final before Bonmati broke the deadlock.
While Barca recorded more clean sheets this season, Jonatan Giraldez rotated his goalkeeper in the early stages of the competition. Endler, on the other hand, has been an ever present for Lyon throughout their run to the final, missing just a single group game.
Five-time Champions League winner Lucy Bronze put on quite the display against Lyon in the final on Saturday. The defender’s experience has been on display throughout this season’s competition, but against Lyon she showed why she’s one of the best in the world.
The England international may not have registered a goal or an assist as she previously had during the campaign, but her contributions defensively kept Barca in the game at times.
Keeping the likes of Delphine Cascarino quiet on the biggest stage is no mean feat and she did so with class.
Ingrid Engen or Irene Paredes could be named in this team and it would be tough to argue against either. Engen, though, isn’t even a defender – which makes her form this season even more impressive.
In the absence of Mapi Leon, the Norway international stepped into the role and struck up a solid partnership with Paredes at the back for Barca.
To say she is an unsung hero would be an understatement.
It’s hard to overlook Chelsea’s Jess Carter, who has had a fantastic year for both club and country….
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