Barcelona win Women’s Champions League with stunning comeback

Trailing 2-0 at half-time, Barcelona came back to beat VfL Wolfsburg 3-2 – with Swedish defender Fridolina Rolfo scoring the winning goal.

Barcelona have won the Women’s Champions League for the second time in three years after coming back from two goals behind to beat VfL Wolfsburg 3-2 in a thrilling final in front of a sold-out crowd in Eindhoven.

Swedish defender Fridolina Rolfo scored the winning goal from close range in the 70th minute, completing a sensational comeback for Barcelona, ​​who were 2-0 down at half time on Saturday.

The Spanish champions quickly set the record straight in the second half when Patricia Guijarro headed in two goals in the first five minutes after the break.

Jonatan Giraldez’s side have now won two of their last three finals after taking their maiden win over Chelsea in 2021, continuing to establish themselves as key rivals to take on eight-time winners Lyon.

Barcelona secured victory with two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas on the bench until the final stages as she continues to find form after the knee injury that has sidelined her for most of the season.

“I’m so emotional, I never thought this would happen, at two zero [down] in the beginning I felt like we could do it, but it was so hard,” competition winner Rolfo told DAZN.

“We showed so much mentality today; I am so proud of the team.

“[At half-time, we said] we just had to keep going, we had the ball, we did a great job, but they scored two goals from their two chances, but we had to keep going, believe in what we were doing, and we did.

Wolfsburg took the lead after just three minutes when Ewa Pajor picked up Lucy Bronze’s bag on the edge of the box and rammed past Sandra Panos.

The England international hadn’t played since April, having had surgery on her knee following the semi-final win over Chelsea, and the rust was showing.

Goalkeeper Panos might have done better too, getting a hand on top scorer Pajor’s effort, but not doing enough to thwart her ninth goal of the tournament.

Barcelona defender Irene Paredes should have equalized but headed a free head wide at the far post from Mapi Leon’s sweetly delivered corner.

Caroline Graham Hansen, who scored in both legs of the semi-final victory over Chelsea, also squandered a fine close range opportunity and failed to make solid contact on a cross.

Barcelona soon paid the price for their debauchery, with Wolfsburg scoring the second on the counter-attack.

Veteran striker Alexandra Popp beat Leon off the ball, which Barcelona were not happy about, before firing into the penalty area to head in the second of Pajor’s cross.

The Germans earned their advantage, with Barcelona lacking sharpness and failing to match their opponents’ energy levels.

But Barcelona’s second-half whirlwind proved too much for Wolfsburg, who were chasing their first Champions League title since 2014.

They came close to equalizing from a corner kick in stoppage time, but ultimately offered too little to prevent Barcelona from lifting the trophy in front of nearly 34,000 fans at Eindhoven’s PSV Stadium.

This year’s final was the first to a sold-out crowd in the history of the Women’s Champions League and attracted the largest ever crowd for a women’s football match in the Netherlands.