Arsenal 1-0 Barcelona: Super-sub Blackstenius seals Champions League glory

Stina Blackstenius played the role of super sub as her goal helped Arsenal clinch their second Women’s Champions League title with a 1-0 win over holders Barcelona.

Blackstenius made an instant impact from the bench, striking the decisive blow seven minutes after her introduction into the action at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.

The Gunners, featuring in their first European final since winning the competition in 2007, made a nervy start to proceedings, but quickly settled against Pere Romeu’s team.

And they thought they had edged ahead in the 23rd minute when Frida Maanum’s cross was turned into her own net by Irene Paredes, but her blushes were spared by the offside flag, with the Arsenal attacker collecting the ball beyond the Barca defence.

Maanum was involved again moments later as Arsenal pushed for the opening goal, but her drilled effort from 25 yards out was acrobatically tipped over by Cata Coll.

Barcelona, however, improved after the break and went within inches of taking the lead shortly after the restart, but Claudia Pina saw her strike deflect onto the crossbar.

Renee Slegers turned to her bench in the 67th minute and introduced Blackstenius and Beth Mead, and those changes proved a stroke of genius.

Blackstenius had forced a huge save from Coll moments after entering the action, but she got herself on the scoresheet merely seconds later.

After a corner was cleared, Mead collected the ball on the edge of the box and sent a clever reverse into Blackstenius, who fired into the bottom-left corner.

Barcelona piled on the pressure as they tried to force extra time, but Arsenal held on after seven minutes of stoppage to set up a party in Lisbon.

WE’VE DONE IT! WE ARE CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE ONCE AGAIN pic.twitter.com/Vta5nhZrA4

— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) May 24, 2025

Data Debrief: Gunners reign supreme once again

Ahead of kick-off, many predicted Barcelona would romp to a fourth European crown in five years, but Arsenal showcased the grit and determination they showed in the latter stages of the competition that got them to the showpiece match.

The Gunners survived a wave of Barca pressure, and despite ending the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 0.64 to Barca’s 0.98, with the Spanish champions having 20 shots, Arsenal took their chance when it mattered.

And match-winner Blackstenius picked the perfect time to end her goal drought in Europe. Indeed, her strike was just her second in the competition this season, and her first since November against Juventus.

It marked a sensational turnaround under Slegers, who became the first Dutch manager to win the Women’s Champions League, and the third overall across the men’s or women’s competition, after Louis van Gaal (1995 with Ajax) and Frank Rijkaard (2006 with Barcelona).

Women’s Super League rivals Chelsea may have completed the domestic treble, but these Arsenal heroes will also go down in history, as the Gunners remain the only English team to have won the competition.