Barcelona leaves Bayern in the lurch to reach the final of the Women’s Champions League

Alexia Putellas struck twice as Barcelona defeated Bayern Munich 4-2 in an entertaining battle to reach the Women’s Champions League final, completing a 5-3 aggregate victory on Sunday.

The Catalan giants, who are playing in their sixth consecutive final, will face eight-time record winners Lyon, who defeated holders Arsenal in the other semi-final on Saturday.

Salma Paralluelo and Ewa Pajor were also on target for Barcelona, ​​who held off a ruthless Bayern team in the closing stages.

READ | Jule’s strike sends Lyon past Arsenal into the final of the Women’s Champions League

Pere Romeu’s side, now unbeaten in 31 consecutive matches, quickly took control of the Camp Nou packed with 60,000 fans.

Paralluelo shot wide after taking advantage of some uncertain defense just minutes before sending three-time winners Barcelona ahead.

Caroline Graham Hansen curled a tempting cross to the back post where the Spain international arrived to strike home in the 13th minute.

Bayern quickly recovered to level at half-time five minutes later, with Barcelona’s backline in disarray. Pernille Harder fed Linda Dallmann who passed Cata Coll.

Barcelona responded by taking the lead again, through two-time Ballon d’Or winner Putellas.

The experienced playmaker, who sent a shot into the roof of the net a few minutes earlier, caressed the ball after Bayern failed to clear a Paralluelo cross.

Barca continued to create chances. Visiting goalkeeper Ena Mahmutovic made a good reaction to deny Paralluelo after the ball fell to the winger in the area.

Paralluelo, who excelled despite an inconsistent campaign, almost created another goal with a cross to Graham Hansen in a reverse strike from the first goal, but the Norwegian’s header went over.

Pajor scored Barcelona’s third early in the second half with a header from Paralluelo’s cross from the left, her ninth goal of the competition, making her the competition’s joint top scorer.

Putellas curled in the fourth from close range after a free-kick was nodded her way, with the delighted fans soon starting a Mexican wave.

Bonmati back

Barca supporters cheered the return of playmaker Bonmati, who was back on the pitch as a substitute for the first time since her broken leg in December.

Barca, who finished second last season, need the talented midfielder against his former coach Jonatan Giraldez’s Lyon in the Oslo final on May 23.

It is the fourth final against Lyon since 2019, with the French side winning the first two before beating Giraldez’s Barca in the 2024 final in Bilbao.

Harder pulled one back for Bayern after Barcelona tried to play out from behind, setting up a nerve-wracking finale for the hosts.

The German team attacked ruthlessly, although Bonmati shot a good chance wide on the counter.

Coll denied Arianna Caruso with a fine save to tap a goal onto the crossbar as Barca could not slow down Jose Barcala’s Bayern.

Harder struck in injury time, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review, with a foul on Patri Guijarro, much to Bayern’s fury.

The German team lost for the first time in 29 matches and could not reach the final for the first time, making it the third exit in the last four.

Published on May 3, 2026