Lisbon, May 25 (IANS) Arsenal women have won the 2024/25 UEFA Women’s Champions League after beating Barcelona 1-0 in Lisbon thanks to Stina Blackstenius’ goal.

Having previously been the only English side to become European champions courtesy of their 2007 success, Arsenal women have now added another continental title to their illustrious history, which has seen them lift a record 15 league titles, 14 FA Cups and seven League Cups.

The victory in Portugal caps a remarkable campaign for the side, who entered the tournament in the first qualifying round back in September. After beating Hacken and Rangers to reach the group stages, Arsenal finished ahead of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Valarenga to reach the knockout stages, despite Renee Slegers replacing Jonas Eidevall as manager back in October.

They then embarked on a dramatic route to the final, overturning a 2-0 first leg loss to beat Real Madrid 3-0 at Emirates Stadium in the quarter-finals, and then hammering Lyon 4-1 on their own patch to advance 5-3 on aggregate to book their place in the Lisbon showpiece.

Arsenal women beat the three-time winners and previous holders, with Blackstenius coming off the bench to net a 74th-minute winner and secure the silverware, becoming the first English team to win eight matches in a single edition of the competition.

Slegers, who is a former academy product and won her first five group games to ensure they made it into the knockouts, has become the first Dutch manager to win the Women’s Champions League, and third overall to win either the men’s or women’s competition after Louis Van Gaal and Frank Rijkaard.

–IANS

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