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The 42
3 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
'A credit to the team': Inside Katie McCabe's Champions League final display
IN THE DYING seconds of Saturday's Champions League final, Katie McCabe showed all of her experience. As the seventh and final minute of injury time drew to a close, Arsenal's Irish left-back tried to take the ball down with her foot. It ricocheted upwards for a headed clearance, and she drew a foul from Caroline Graham Hansen, arguably the best right winger in the world who she had limited all evening. McCabe got the header away, but made the most of the minimal contact; one last act of frustration inflicted on Graham Hansen. Celebrations broke out on the Arsenal bench. It was all but over. McCabe urged the defensive line out one last time as goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar sent the free-kick upfield, and 25 seconds later, the final whistle sounded and all hell broke loose. Arsenal were champions of Europe, having stunned Barcelona at Lisbon's Estádio José Alvalade. They shed the underdog tag to beat the back-to-back champions 1-0, reigning supreme for the first time since 2007 — and just second time ever. They are the only English winners of the competition, and the first to do so having come through every round of qualifying. McCabe played each of those 15 games, her 1,296 minutes the most ever recorded in a Uefa women's club season. ❤️ A record-breaking season 💚 Katie McCabe's 1️⃣,2️⃣9️⃣6️⃣ minutes played during Arsenal's successful #UWCL campaign is the most ever recorded in a UEFA women's club season 💪 — UEFA Women's Champions League (@UWCL) May 28, 2025 Advertisement The Dubliner played her part in a superb defensive display amidst Renée Slegers' tactical triumph. Incredibly, the back four didn't commit a single foul: in all, Arsenal made four, compared with Barcelona's 10. While England captain Leah Williamson and goalscoring hero Stina Blackstenius have been widely heralded, McCabe also deserves huge credit for generally nullifying Graham Hansen, just like she did to Lyon's Kadidiatou Diani in the semi-final turnaround. Again, she was extremely disciplined defensively — not always the case — in a compact set-up. The Irish skipper timed her attacking influence well, but prioritised her defensive duties, with Ona Battle another huge threat down Barca's right flank. Caitlin Foord offered support, and at times cover, as the duo combined to good effect. In the fifth minute, they stood off Graham Hansen before McCabe put in two quick-fire blocks. This was a recurring theme throughout the game: Arsenal letting Barca players have the ball and picking the right moment to engage. McCabe profited three or four times, backing herself in the fascinating one-v-one battle. Working in tandem with left-sided centre-back Steph Catley, she produced several other crucial blocks, clearances, and tackles — a sliding challenge on Graham Hansen on the half-hour mark among the highlights — and racked up the interceptions. Katie McCabe executes a sliding tackle on Caroline Graham Hansen. Jose Breton / INPHO Jose Breton / INPHO / INPHO Picking the pocket of Ballon d'Or holder Aitana Bonmati was one act of note just before the hour, and it underlined the importance of balance. The Arsenal defender drove forward momentarily before turning back to Mariona Caldentey, but the next player up, Frida Maanum, lost the ball and in an instant Bonmati tore down Arsenal's left and tested van Domsellar. There were other shaky moments, including an early deflection which put the Dutch 'keeper under pressure. McCabe was often happy to leave Graham Hansen isolated out wide, and watching on in the stadium, it felt risky. She sometimes drifted too far centrally, seemingly distracted by the ball and players like Bonmati, with Catley urging her back to base. She would have breathed a sigh of relief just after half time when Claudia Pina rattled the crossbar. A cross to Graham Hansen, in oceans of space on the right, was arguably the better option. Recoveries were a staple. Graham Hansen did get the better of her on occasion, especially amidst intricate combination play and overlapping, while poor execution of passing crept in under pressure. Balls in behind to Foord were generally a success, though, highlighted by former team-mate Jen Beattie on commentary after a rare overhit effort. 'But she sees the vision there,' the former Scotland international said. 'That's Katie McCabe's quality that she's showed every game, week in, week out. Started every game in the Champions League for Arsenal. She's a credit to the team — whether she's playing left-back or higher up the pitch, she can bring the quality in all areas of the pitch.' This was a quieter attacking performance with set-piece involvement also minimal. Still, McCabe created the second most big chances in Europe this season, one less than Alexia Putellas' 22, and popped up as a threat at the weekend. The Kilnamanagh native started the sequence for the disallowed goal in the first half, brilliantly switching to right full-back Emily Fox after her throw-in one-two with Frida Maanum. Irene Paredes turned Maanum's cross into her own net, but it was chalked off for offside. She was also involved, albeit indirectly, in the build-up to Blackstenius' 74th-minute winner. After Barca failed to clear Caldentey's corner and Little recycled to the Spanish sensation, McCabe made a clever decoy run. She commanded the Blaugrana's attention, as the ball was worked to Beth Mead, who slipped Blackstenius in for the golden goal with a fine disguised pass. McCabe was right in the thick of it a few minutes beforehand, swatting Graham Hansen aside on a surging run down the left, before being stopped in her tracks by Battle in the box. Penalty appeals were waved away, and she was left hobbling: not for the first time after being clattered by Ewa Pajor early on and taking a ball to the face from Putellas. Related Reads Letter from Lisbon: An Irish Champions League winner on a wonderful occasion Katie McCabe's Arsenal beat Barcelona for Champions League glory Katie McCabe: The gifted kid from Kilnamanagh chasing Champions League glory More often than not on the opposing end of these incidents, McCabe kept her cool and was disciplined throughout. Off the ball, her arms were often spread wide, pointing and organising, as Arsenal kept Barca at bay. The Gunners defended for their lives down the stretch, McCabe among the many blockers and stoppers, as they reached the Promised Land. Having undoubtedly led the celebrations from Lisbon to North London, international football is back in focus for the Irish captain. She was warmly welcomed by the squad in Istanbul last night ahead of Friday's penultimate Nations League League B group game against Türkiye. Carla Ward's side must win to keep their hopes of automatic promotion alive, before a potential Páirc Uí Chaoimh shootout against leaders Slovenia next Tuesday. There, they must equal or surpass the 4-0 victory the Slovenians achieved in February's Koper shocker — with play-offs in October the alternative route to League A. Katie McCabe may now be a Champions League winner after another big shift in a remarkable European season, but the wheel keeps on turning.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
🍿What to watch out for in the Women's Champions League final
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. Barça plays today to make history. Against Arsenal, at the José Alvalade in Lisbon, Pere Romeu's team can win their fourth Champions League title in history in their fifth consecutive final. These are some of the storylines we'll be focusing on once the ball starts rolling in Lisbon. 📸 James Fearn - 2025 Getty Images Although Arsenal, champions in 2007, cannot compete with the six finals and three titles that Barcelona has won in the last decade, they have the weapons to surprise. They are aggressive in recovering possession and have the talent of Mariona Caldentey, MVP of the year in England in her new role as creator. Their comebacks against Real Madrid and Lyon speak clearly of their competitive character. 📸 David Ramos - 2024 Getty Images Romeu can form with Cata Coll; Ona Batlle, Irene Paredes, Mapi León, Rolfö; Aitana Bonmatí, Patri Guijarro, Alexia Putellas; Graham Hansen, Ewa Pajor, and Claudia Pina. Only León, who arrives injured, or the possible entries of Brugts or Salma raise some debate about an otherwise stellar starting eleven. Little, Caldentey, and Fox will try to stifle Barça's fluidity with aggression. Will the skill between lines of Bonmatí and Putellas and the imbalance of Graham Hansen prevail over that wall? 📸 David Ramos - 2024 Getty Images
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona are big Women's Champions League final favourites despite ‘worst' season
Normalising the extraordinary. Even in their 'worst season', Barcelona are going for a second quadruple in a row and third consecutive Women's Champions League title. Few may have predicted that late last year, after a defeat at Manchester City prompted a new narrative: this was the season they were finally not going to win anything. In the end, they won the Liga F title but only after losing twice. That may not sound terrible but it is the first time since the 2018-19 season they have been defeated more than once in the league. So a crisis of some sort. The loss at City also prompted some soul-searching for a team in their first season with a new manager, Pere Romeu replacing Jonatan Giráldez last summer. Related: Smoke cannons, rolling subs and goals aplenty: welcome to World Sevens football 'It's been an emotional season,' the Barcelona winger Caroline Graham Hansen says. 'We lost a couple of more games than we're used to and we've lost some games that hurt more than others. We weren't good enough but I think the criticism was a bit too harsh given how we were actually playing. 'Our performance at that moment [around the City defeat] wasn't good enough and everyone recognised that. I did that individually and we did as a team. We've just been working since then to make ourselves better and you get to the moments that matter, and we've performed when it matters. Let's see if we can finish the season on the highest high.' Performed when it mattered is perhaps an understatement from the Norwegian. They destroyed Wolfsburg 10-2 on aggregate in the Champions League quarter-finals before beating a resurgent Chelsea – undefeated in the WSL all season – 8-2 over two legs in the semis. 'We don't get tired of winning,' Graham Hansen adds. 'You know it's impossible to win everything all the time so at the beginning of each season you start with the dream to try to do it again. Plus the second time is always tougher because when you do it once, it's difficult to do it again.' Saturday's final sees them face Arsenal, a team they haven't played since 2021 but a rival that has a similar football background with possession-based, Dutch-inspired football. 'It's a good Arsenal team,' says Graham Hansen. 'They are a team that like to dominate the ball like we do but I believe we will dominate the ball more. At least I hope so, they are a strong team so maybe I'm wrong. We'll see.' Of the four players at the top of the Champions League goalscoring charts, two are from Barcelona (Clàudia Pina with 10 and Ewa Pajor with six) and two are from Arsenal (Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey with seven each). Barcelona are favourites but Arsenal proved in the semi-final against Lyon – winning the away leg 4-1 having lost at home – that they are not afraid of being the underdogs. 'It's nice to have another team that we haven't played in a final yet,' Graham Hansen says. 'It's been a team that have shown high standards in the Champions League and it's going to be a tough game. It's a final, you just have to be prepared to leave your heart and soul out there and see who the better team on the day will be. Finals are never easy but that's what makes them fun.' Apart from the change in manager, the Poland forward Pajor arriving was the biggest change from last season for the club. The departures of Jenni Hermoso and Asisat Oshoala had left Barcelona without a proper No 9 and relying from goals from elsewhere on the pitch. The likes of Graham Hansen, Alexia Putellas and Caldentey were tasked with adding more goals but the inclusion of Pajor in the team has altered the team's style of play once again with a focus on having a dynamic striker inside the box. Pajor finished top goalscorer of the league with 25 goals in 28 matches (as well as supplying 10 assists) and knows how to score in a Champions League final from her time at Wolfsburg. In his first season Romeu could achieve one of the hardest feats in football: a quadruple. To the naked eye it may look like the Barcelona players can play the games on their own, without much guidance from the sidelines, but they have praised Romeu's impact since taking over. With many players only having two weeks' holiday between the Olympics and pre-season, he 32-year-old had to manage their workload to avoid fatigue and burnout while still trying to maintain a standard of performance everyone is expecting from his squad. 'I think that was the biggest challenge for him,' says Graham Hansen. 'Where most players come back to pre-season fresh and motivated, we add on another year where we're just more tired. Players had to use the start of the season, already competing, to recover from the summer. But the coaching staff have done well to listen to us, listen to our needs and we've responded with great work. 'I came to Barcelona confident that I would win one Champions League – and now I've won three of them. I didn't imagine it would happen like this when I came here and hopefully, on Saturday, I can add one more.' If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email This is an extract from our free weekly email, Moving the Goalposts. To get the full edition, visit this page and follow the instructions. Moving the Goalposts is back in to its twice-weekly format, delivered to your inboxes every Tuesday and Thursday.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona huge favourites for Women's Champions League final despite ‘worst' season
Normalising the extraordinary. Even in their 'worst season', Barcelona are going for a second quadruple in a row and fourth consecutive Women's Champions League title. Few may have predicted that late last year, after a defeat at Manchester City prompted a new narrative: this was the season they were finally not going to win anything. In the end, they won the Liga F title but only after losing twice. That may not sound terrible but it is the first time since the 2018-19 season they have been defeated more than once in the league. So a crisis of some sort. The loss at City also prompted some soul-searching for a team in their first season with a new manager, Pere Romeu replacing Jonatan Giráldez last summer. Advertisement 'It's been an emotional season,' the Barcelona winger Caroline Graham Hansen says. 'We lost a couple of more games than we're used to and we've lost some games that hurt more than others. We weren't good enough but I think the criticism was a bit too harsh given how we were actually playing. 'Our performance at that moment [around the City defeat] wasn't good enough and everyone recognised that. I did that individually and we did as a team. We've just been working since then to make ourselves better and you get to the moments that matter, and we've performed when it matters. Let's see if we can finish the season on the highest high.' Performed when it mattered is perhaps an understatement from the Norwegian. They destroyed Wolfsburg 10-2 on aggregate in the Champions League quarter-finals before beating a resurgent Chelsea – undefeated in the WSL all season – 8-2 over two legs in the semis. 'We don't get tired of winning,' Graham Hansen adds. 'You know it's impossible to win everything all the time so at the beginning of each season you start with the dream to try to do it again. Plus the second time is always tougher because when you do it once, it's difficult to do it again.' Advertisement Saturday's final sees them face Arsenal, a team they haven't played since 2021 but a rival that has a similar football background with possession-based, Dutch-inspired football. 'It's a good Arsenal team,' says Graham Hansen. 'They are a team that like to dominate the ball like we do but I believe we will dominate the ball more. At least I hope so, they are a strong team so maybe I'm wrong. We'll see.' Of the four players at the top of the Champions League goalscoring charts, two are from Barcelona (Clàudia Pina with 10 and Ewa Pajor with six) and two are from Arsenal (Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey with seven each). Barcelona are favourites but Arsenal proved in the semi-final against Lyon – winning the away leg 4-1 having lost at home – that they are not afraid of being the underdogs. 'It's nice to have another team that we haven't played in a final yet,' Graham Hansen says. 'It's been a team that have shown high standards in the Champions League and it's going to be a tough game. It's a final, you just have to be prepared to leave your heart and soul out there and see who the better team on the day will be. Finals are never easy but that's what makes them fun.' Apart from the change in manager, the Poland forward Pajor arriving was the biggest change from last season for the club. The departures of Jenni Hermoso and Asisat Oshoala had left Barcelona without a proper No 9 and relying from goals from elsewhere on the pitch. Advertisement The likes of Graham Hansen, Alexia Putellas and Caldentey were tasked with adding more goals but the inclusion of Pajor in the team has altered the team's style of play once again with a focus on having a dynamic striker inside the box. Pajor finished top goalscorer of the league with 25 goals in 28 matches (as well as supplying 10 assists) and knows how to score in a Champions League final from her time at Wolfsburg. In his first season Romeu could achieve one of the hardest feats in football: a quadruple. To the naked eye it may look like the Barcelona players can play the games on their own, without much guidance from the sidelines, but they have praised Romeu's impact since taking over. With many players only having two weeks' holiday between the Olympics and pre-season, he 32-year-old had to manage their workload to avoid fatigue and burnout while still trying to maintain a standard of performance everyone is expecting from his squad. 'I think that was the biggest challenge for him,' says Graham Hansen. 'Where most players come back to pre-season fresh and motivated, we add on another year where we're just more tired. Players had to use the start of the season, already competing, to recover from the summer. But the coaching staff have done well to listen to us, listen to our needs and we've responded with great work. Advertisement 'I came to Barcelona confident that I would win one Champions League – and now I've won three of them. I didn't imagine it would happen like this when I came here and hopefully, on Saturday, I can add one more.' Talking points Burnley ready to step up: The club's women's team will become fully professional from next season and they have formally expressed their interest in replacing Blackburn Rovers in WSL 2. Blackburn withdrew from the second tier on Tuesday and discussions are understood to be taking place between the league and the Football Association to determine how to fill the vacancy. Burnley, who currently play in the third tier, are now committing to switch to full-time status from next season regardless of whether they're chosen to replace Blackburn or not. Their chairman, Alan Pace, said: 'We see both the men's and women's teams as being important now and for ever, and this move aims to accelerate the women further along their development timeline.' A new start: The World Sevens kicked off on Wednesday in Estoril. The seven-a-side tournament has a $5m (£3.73m) prize pot with the winners understood to pocket $2.5m. A large portion of that is supposed to go to the players and coaching staff. On Wednesday Manchester City, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and PSG won their opening fixtures. The tournament concludes with the semi-final and final on Friday. Advertisement Spain visit Catalonia: The Spain v England game on 3 June at Espanyol's stadium is the first time since the 1990s that the women's national team have played a match in the region. The men's national team have only played there twice in the past 20 years. Quote of the day I'll never forget what Alexia Putellas did for me, especially during this injury. Sometimes I still get nervous. I used to watch Alexia and Aitana [Bonmatí] on TV and now I'm passing the ball to them on the pitch' – Barcelona's Kika Nazareth talks to Mais Futebol before the Champions League final on arriving at Barcelona from Benfica at the start of the season. Recommended viewing Aoba Fujino scores the first goal at the 2025 World Sevens Football to give Manchester City the lead against Rosengård. Recommended listening Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzy Wrack, Robyn Cowen, Freddie Cardy AND LUCY BRONZE to break down Chelsea's FA Cup final win and preview Arsenal v Barcelona. Listen here. Still want more? London City Lionesses have been fined £15,000 for approaching a Southampton player on social media. Advertisement Blackburn were this week forced to withdraw from WSL 2 on what was described as a 'sad day for women's football'. Exciting talents Lo'eau LaBonta and Kerry Abello have been given their first NWST call-ups by Emma Hayes. And teenager Shelby McMahon scored the only goal of the game to send Melbourne City into the Asian Champions League final. Get in touch If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
🏆 Barcelona hammer Real Madrid to win Supercopa de España Femenina
Barcelona hammered Real Madrid 5-0 to win the Supercopa de España Graham Hansen 31', Pajor 37, 45+3', Guijarro 63', Putellas 85' The Blaugrana controlled Sunday's game from minute one and took the lead midway through the first half thanks to Caroline Graham Hansen's fine effort. The game really got away from Los Blancos as the first half came towards its end however as Ewa Pajor scored twice in the space of eight minutes to give Barça' a three-goal lead at the break. Into the second half and the Catalan side put some gloss on the scoreline as Patricia Guijarro and Alexia Putellas netted a fourth and fifth to secure their first trophy of the season. 📸 David Ramos - 2024 Getty Images
