Barcelona dan Lyon Berebut Gelar Juara Liga Champions Wanita di Oslo

Barcelona dan Olympique Lyonnais akan bertanding dalam babak final Liga Champions Wanita UEFA di Stadion Ullevaal, Oslo, pada Sabtu, 23 Mei 2026.

Pertandingan ini menjadi pertemuan keempat bagi kedua raksasa Eropa tersebut di partai puncak dalam delapan tahun terakhir, di mana Lyon memenangi final tahun 2019 dan 2022, sedangkan Barcelona unggul pada edisi 2024.

Barcelona menembus final keenam mereka secara beruntun setelah menyingkirkan Bayern Munich dengan agregat 5-3, sementara Lyon lolos usai membalikkan ketertinggalan dari juara bertahan Arsenal di semifinal.

Gelandang Barcelona, Alexia Putellas, mencatatkan kontribusi keterlibatan gol terbanyak di kompetisi musim ini dengan delapan gol dan enam asis dari total 92 rangkaian serangan.

"At Barcelona, the demands are always at the highest level, so you're in a constant state of not being satisfied, and that pushes you to your limits," ujar Alexia Putellas, Gelandang Barcelona.

Putellas menilai tekanan tinggi selama bertahun-tahun di klub telah membentuk ketangguhan tersendical bagi para pemain untuk terus melangkah tanpa henti.

"That's how I believe you have to be, or at least how I need to be at this club – always striving for excellence and constantly pushing yourself to be better," kata Alexia Putellas, Gelandang Barcelona.

Menurutnya, atmosfer pertandingan Liga Champions selalu menghadirkan perasaan yang besar, penting, serta terasa sangat istimewa.

"Because it's a final against a team like Lyon, I think it's difficult to predict what's going to happen," ucap Alexia Putellas, Gelandang Barcelona.

Ia meyakini pertandingan perebutan gelar juara ini akan berlangsung sangat ketat karena mempertemukan dua tim terbaik di Eropa.

"All I know is that it'll be a very close match and, ultimately, we're the two best teams in Europe, so it's going to be a great game," tutur Alexia Putellas, Gelandang Barcelona.

Di kubu lawan, kapten Tim Nasional Wanita Amerika Serikat, Lindsey Heaps, bersiap menjalani laga terakhirnya bersama Lyon sebelum pindah ke klub Denver Summit di akhir musim Eropa.

"I don't really like to think about my time ending at OL Lyonnes," kata Lindsey Heaps, Gelandang Lyon.

Heaps merasa sangat bersyukur karena pertandingan pamungkasnya di kompetisi Eropa terjadi di babak final.

"But the fact that we made it to this final was a little extra-special for me, as my last Champions League game will be a Champions League final, so I'm very thankful for that." ujar Lindsey Heaps, Gelandang Lyon.

Pemain yang telah mencetak 22 gol untuk Lyon ini berpeluang menjadi pemain Amerika Serikat pertama yang memenangi dua gelar juara Liga Champions Wanita.

"These are the kinds of moments that you wake up and you play football for," tutur Lindsey Heaps, Gelandang Lyon.

Mencapai laga puncak merupakan impian masa kecil Heaps yang kini menjadi kenyataan yang sangat membanggakan.

"This what I dreamed of when I was a little kid." ucap Lindsey Heaps, Gelandang Lyon.

Ia menambahkan bahwa seluruh elemen tim telah berjuang bersama di sepanjang musim demi mewujudkan impian mencapai babak final.

"It feels incredible to be going back to another Champions League final," kata Lindsey Heaps, Gelandang Lyon.

Keberhasilan kembali ke partai final dinilai sebagai momen nyata dari hasil kerja keras kolektif seluruh skuad.

"It's a bit surreal and also a very proud moment because I think this team has been together throughout the entire season and all our goals and dreams were to make it here." ujar Lindsey Heaps, Gelandang Lyon.

Mantan pemain profesional dan analis CBS Sports, Jen Beattie, memberikan pandangan mengenai posisi Heaps jika berhasil merengkuh trofi tersebut.

"Without a doubt," kata Jen Beattie, Analis CBS Sports.

Menurut Beattie, memimpin timnas AS dan mengukir sejarah baru bersama salah satu klub terbaik di Eropa menunjukkan keistimewaan Heaps sebagai pemain.

"I think you know there's one to be captaining the U.S., but then to go and create that kind of history for one of the best European teams, and a team with already so much history, and then to go and sort of create your own history, just shows how special she is as a person, how special she is as a player." ujar Jen Beattie, Analis CBS Sports.

Beattie menilai pertandingan ini akan emosional bagi Heaps yang sudah memiliki kepastian masa depan untuk berkarir di Denver.

"I think this will be an emotional one," tutur Jen Beattie, Analis CBS Sports.

Laga ini dipandang sebagai dorongan terakhir bagi sang gelandang untuk benar-benar mengukir namanya dalam sejarah sepak bola Eropa.

"It's nice when you know your future. Obviously, she's heading to Denver after the final of the season, so it's kind of one last push to really etch her name in history." kata Jen Beattie, Analis CBS Sports.

Pelatih Lyon, Jonatan Giraldez, yang pernah menangani Barcelona pada periode 2021 hingga 2024, mengantisipasi pertandingan yang berimbang.

"Reaching the final is really nothing" kata Jonatan Giraldez, Pelatih Lyon.

Giraldez merasa mendapat hak istimewa bisa kembali berada di final Liga Champions dan berhadapan dengan mantan tim asuhannya.

"I feel privileged to face Barcelona as I'm grateful for the experience I had there and I wish them the best -- except [on Saturday] when we have to win. I feel privileged because I have the opportunity to be part of another Champions League final." ujar Jonatan Giraldez, Pelatih Lyon.

Ia menyatakan bahwa berada di partai final mendatangkan emosi dan motivasi besar dalam karier sepak bolanya.

"Doing this is the thing I enjoy the most and being in the final is emotional and motivational. I'm grateful to football for the opportunities it has given me and having the chance to be in another final is a dream for me." tutur Jonatan Giraldez, Pelatih Lyon.

Meskipun Barcelona mendominasi pemberitaan di beberapa final terakhir, Giraldez menegaskan level skuad kedua tim saat ini setara.

"Barcelona have taken headlines in recent finals, but this is a very equal final. It is a final involving two rival teams with top levels in their squads, regardless of the history. Our ambition is to win." ucap Jonatan Giraldez, Pelatih Lyon.

Bagi pelatih asal Spanyol tersebut, sekadar mencapai babak final tidaklah cukup bagi ambisi besar ruang ganti Lyon.

"Reaching the final is really nothing, honestly. I think that would be dreaming small and reaching the final is not enough. If we are here, it's because we have the ambition of winning [on Saturday.] There's no other word and no other message in the dressing room." kata Jonatan Giraldez, Pelatih Lyon.

Pemain tengah Lyon, Damaris Egurrola, turut membagikan pengalamannya mengenai persiapan tim dan pentingnya menikmati proses pekan final.

"I think so. I remember my first final: many of the more experienced players told me to enjoy the week, because on match day, everything is focused on preparing for the game. But during the week, of course, you’re preparing too, and it’s important to try to savour the moment. That’s what I do now." ujar Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Egurrola berupaya meneruskan pesan tersebut kepada para pemain baru dan yang kurang berpengalaman agar dapat menikmati keindahan momen kebersamaan di Oslo.

"I also try to pass that on to the new players, to those with less experience, so they can enjoy this week too. It’s something unique and beautiful to experience: the way the week starts, up to the moment we travel to Oslo, in this case, when we’re all together until the day of the final, and then we play." kata Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Mengenai evolusi permainan Lyon musim ini, Egurrola menilai kehadiran kombinasi pemain baru berbakat dan pemain senior berjalan sangat baik di bawah staf kepelatihan baru.

"I don’t think it’s changed much. We’re lucky to have an incredible squad this year, with lots of talented new players, a mix of more experienced players who have been here a long time, a new coach and new staff, so of course, there are different ideas." tutur Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Ia menegaskan seluruh elemen skuad mampu saling memahami dengan cepat sejak awal musim hingga membuahkan performa apik di fase akhir.

"I think it’s been a perfect combination. We understood each other very quickly at the start of the season, and that’s why we’re performing so well at the end of the season." ucap Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Mengenai kekalahan dari Barcelona di final 2024 di Bilbao, Egurrola mengakui timnya saat itu kehilangan momentum di beberapa pertempuran individu.

"I’m not really a fan of talking about past finals, but I think everyone saw that we weren’t at our best in Bilbao. We didn’t win our duels, and that’s what a final is about: it starts with those individual battles all over the pitch. We weren’t up to it." kata Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Menurutnya, Barcelona berhasil memanfaatkan dua momen kunci untuk mencetak gol di waktu yang sulit bagi pertahanan Lyon.

"They made the difference at two key moments. They scored at a very tough time for us, and we couldn’t come back. But that’s in the past. Now, we’re only focused on this final." ujar Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Terkait keberadaan Jonatan Giraldez yang kini melatih Lyon setelah sebelumnya melatih Barcelona, Egurrola menganggap hal itu sebagai sebuah keuntungan besar.

"Yes, we’re really lucky to have him as our coach. We’ve all learned a lot. We’ve grown a lot as a team. He’s brought new ideas, especially for these big matches." tutur Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Pengalaman panjang Giraldez bersama Barcelona membuat sang pelatih memahami detail karakter setiap pemain lawan secara mendalam.

"We’re really fortunate to have all his experience, and also the fact that he spent a long time with the other team. He knows every player in detail, and that’s obviously an advantage for us." ucap Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Egurrola mengungkapkan bahwa sejak hari pertama kedatangannya di Lyon, trofi Liga Champions sudah menjadi obsesi dan budaya harian dalam setiap sesi latihan.

"I can tell you that the first day I arrived in Lyon, it was the first thing I heard about: the Champions League. You feel it at every training session, even during a warm-up, even in a simple rondo: everyone gives their all thinking about that trophy, imagining the moment we lift it." kata Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Para pemain senior yang telah memenangi kompetisi ini berulang kali banyak membantu memberikan arahan tentang cara menangani tekanan sebelum pertandingan final.

"The other day, we were talking about those moments that, over time, fade a bit from memory, but we were just recalling that feeling of lifting this kind of trophy. It’s something incredible. We’re lucky to have a lot of players in the team who have already lifted several Champions Leagues. I’m very grateful to them, because they also explained to me how to handle the weeks before a final, how to enjoy the process." ujar Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Menjalani final ketiganya, Egurrola merasa lebih siap menikmati proses sekaligus membantu para pemain muda karena level kompetisi yang semakin sulit setiap tahun.

"This is my third final now, and I can enjoy it myself and try to pass that on to the younger players, to those with less experience, so they can enjoy it too. Because it doesn’t happen every year. We’d like it to, but the level of the Champions League is incredible; it gets harder every year." tutur Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Egurrola merasa Lyon sangat layak berada di posisi saat ini dan harus benar-benar memanfaatkan kesempatan di partai puncak.

"We’re really lucky, and I think we deserve to be in the final. So we also have to savour this moment." kata Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Bagi seorang gelandang, ia menilai pertarungan memperebutkan kendali di lini tengah akan menjadi faktor penentu utama untuk memenangi pertandingan melawan Barcelona.

"For me, it’s key in every match, no matter the opponent: whoever dominates the midfield has a better chance of winning. Even more so in this kind of game, against a team that’s really strong in midfield, with incredible players. But so do we. We have an exceptional midfield." ucap Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Egurrola mengenal kapasitas lini tengah Barcelona karena pernah bermain bersama di tim nasional muda Spanyol, namun ia optimistis dengan kekuatan variasi lini tengah yang dimiliki Lyon.

"I know them really, really well because I played with them in the Spanish youth national team. It’s going to be very interesting. They’ve played together for a long time, so they have a lot of instinctive passes, they know exactly where to find their teammate." ujar Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Skuad Lyon memiliki kedalaman serta fleksibilitas di lini tengah yang memungkinkan tim beradaptasi dengan cepat sesuai kebutuhan jalannya pertandingan.

"But we also have our strengths to develop our game, to keep the ball. I know we’re capable of it. I think dominating the midfield will be decisive in this final." kata Damaris Egurrola, Gelandang Lyon.

Pertandingan ini akan disiarkan secara langsung di beberapa wilayah melalui layanan streaming resmi Paramount+ untuk wilayah Amerika Serikat serta BBC iPlayer di Inggris.