Lyon win fifth Women's Champions League in a row

A very familiar-looking final ended in a very familiar manner thanks to a very familiar face, as French champions Lyon edged out their German opponents to make it five Women’s Champions League titles in a row. The final blow for the French side was struck by Sara Björk Gunnarsdottir, who played for Wolfsburg earlier in the competition.

That three of those five final wins have come against Wolfsburg is no mark of disrespect to the Women’s Bundesliga winners, Jean Luc Vasseur’s team are simply a class above the rest of the women's game, as they proved for large stretches on Sunday.

After Wendie Renard’s aerial ability and Delphine Cascarino’s jinking wingplay threatened Wolfsburg’s defenses early on, it was Eugenie Le Sommer who eventually broke the deadlock. Cascarino’s cross was only blocked as far as the French striker and, after Wolfsburg keeper Friederike Abt kicked away a weak left-footed effort, Le Sommer blasted across her low with her right.

The German side looked to the prolific Danish forward Pernille Harder for inspiration but she struggled to see enough of the ball as Lyon controlled the game. They took a huge step towards victory just before the break after another half-cleared Cascarino cross fell to Saki Kumagai. The Japanese international kept her cool and rifled a low, powerful shot an inch inside Abt’s left post from 20 yards. It was a goal in keeping with the champions‘ display.

Despite the wounds of previous defeat though, Wolfsburg were not prepared to lie down, and the women in green harried and chased their way back in to the game. Fridolina Rolfö was persistent enough to get a cross in from a tough spot on the left, Lyon keeper Sarah Bouhaddi spilt it and Alexander Popp was in the right place at the right time to head in from Ewa Pajor’s mishit shot.

Popp and Harder were among those trying desperately to carve out further opportunities. But Lyon managed to wrestle back control. In the end, it was a stroke of luck, and another questionable piece of goalkeeping, that allowed Gunnarsdottir to turn home Le Sommer's fierce shot from close range.

While the identity of the third goalscorer will be frustrating for Wolfsburg, it's yet another final loss to Lyon that will sting more.