Dynasties of European soccer past and present meet in the Women鈥檚 Champions League final on Saturday.
Barcelona against OL Lyonnes in Oslo will be the fourth time in eight seasons the modern powers have played for the European title, and the first since Lyon was .
In the new Champions League format, they tied on points in December.
Both teams also are unbeaten in domestic competitions this season, both chasing a quadruple of trophies.
鈥淭he two greatest teams probably of all time,鈥� said UEFA director of women鈥檚 football Nadine Kessler, herself a three-time Champions League winner before Lyon started a run of five straight titles in 2015.
It is Barcelona鈥檚 sixth straight final 鈥� and seventh in eight years 鈥� in an era shaped by their great attacking midfielders Aitana Bonmat铆 and Al猫xia Putellas.
Lyon returns still with talismanic players Wendie Renard and , respectively the captain and hat trick scorer when in the 2019 final.
There is an extra layer of intrigue in the dugouts among teams that know each other so well.
won back-to-back Champions League titles at Barcelona when its current coach, Pere Romeu, was among his assistants.
Overcomes squad cuts
Barcelona is back in the final one year after being denied an expected three-peat by a 1-0 win for Arsenal.
The season started in some turmoil with squad cuts enforced as part of wider financial issues to help the club meet limits set by the men鈥檚 La Liga.
On the field, it was domination again. The Spanish league title was retained with two rounds left and a record so far of played 28, won 27, lost 1, goal difference +118. A 1-0 win for Real Sociedad in November is the only game Barcelona lost all season.
The Spanish cup and super cup trophies also were lifted, and Romeu鈥檚 team has reached the Champions League final by topping the league phase standings then eliminating Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Barcelona is favored to win a fourth European title after 2021, 23 and 鈥�24, when it .
Thriving with owner Kang
The first season with coach Gir谩ldez and the OL Lyonnes name has gone well for owner Michele Kang.
Lyon topped the regular-season league standings unbeaten and won both domestic cups. All that is left is Saturday in Oslo and a French league playoff final at home next Friday against Paris FC.
Its only losses all season were away legs in the Champions League knockout rounds against Wolfsburg and Arsenal, the title holder dethroned by a .
Lifting both trophies in the next week would give the Renard a record-extending ninth European title and a remarkable 19th French league title.
At age 35, the storied central defender also is older than both the coaches Saturday. Lyon coach Gir谩ldez is 34 and Romeu is 32.
Gir谩ldez came to Lyon last offseason after first being lured away from Barcelona by Kang to lead the Washington Spirit team she also owns.
Prize money
The new league-phase format with a broadcast deal on Disney+ put 26 million euros ($30.15 million) into the Champions League prize money fund for 74 clubs. The men’s edition will share about 2.44 billion euros ($2.83 billion) among 36 clubs this season.
Barcelona has so far earned 1.455 million euros ($1.69 million) from UEFA, and Lyon has 10,000 euros ($11,600) less for finishing second in the league standings.
The winner Saturday will get a 500,000 euros ($580,000) bonus and the beaten finalist gets 300,000 euros ($348,000).
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