The keys to Barça's tearful defeat in Lisbon

Special Envoy to Lisbon"I'm really upset. I can't believe it. I think we have to restart the game and do things differently... but that's football. Deep down, I think this will help us come back stronger and do things differently," lamented Aitana Bonmatí after Barça's defeat in the Champions League final. "These 90 minutes don't define what our season has been like. We didn't have a great game, but people know that in a final this can happen. Next season, these players and I as coach will try again," added the Barcelona native, addressing rumors that could cast doubt on his continuity. Romeu is one of the main suspects in the defeat to Arsenal, but not the only one. Below are three key points to understanding Barça's disappointment in Lisbon.

Arsenal's initial approach, better

The London side did nothing in the final that they hadn't already demonstrated throughout the season, beyond being relentlessly intense in their pressing and using defensive support. Above all, they managed to defuse Barça's play-out and neutralize the Blaugrana midfield. One of the Catalan side's responses was to try to turn the English team's advanced defensive line around with long passes into space, but it didn't work. Furthermore, the starting choice to partner Pajor and Graham Hansen up front was Pina, who had earned a starting spot on merit—she was the competition's top scorer (10 goals)—but the game plan during the first 45 minutes didn't suit her. Salma is more effective at pushing opponents' backs. Pina is more effective against tight defenses.

By nullifying Paredes and Mapi's ball-outs and pressing the midfield tightly—Aitana was one of the few players who saw action in the first half—Arsenal were superior throughout the first half. In fact, the English team took the lead when a goal was ruled out for offside, and Cata deflected a powerful Maanum shot from the edge of the box. "We didn't find the superiority we needed in the game and we couldn't establish ourselves in the opponent's half. Arsenal covered our passing very well, turning from left to right [in relation to Paredes' ball-out], and that made it harder for us to find Alexia and Graham," Romeu analyzed. Mariona, meanwhile, was in charge of monitoring Patri. "Barça's midfield is the driving force. So we wanted to stop them. It was a great challenge because of their quality, intelligence, and skill. I think the decision-making was very good. I loved our game management. The players put in an exceptional performance," said Renée Slegers, Arsenal's promising manager.

Individualities don't work

Football is a team sport, but in Lisbon, Barça found some proven players. Particularly Graham Hansen and Pajor. The winger, often decisive in one-on-one situations, wasn't sharp either in dribbling, crossing, or making her usual diagonal runs toward goal. Pajor, the most expensive signing in the history of the women's team and eager to win her first Champions League final, wasn't the threat Barça had hoped for either. Catley and, especially, Williamson, decisive in blocking, made things difficult for the Polish striker.

"We wanted more possession, more control. We struggled to generate the superiority we wanted. I don't think we were able to convert the spaces we created on the wings into clear chances. I think our crosses could have been better. It's something we didn't do entirely well," Romeu said. The Barça midfield, as already mentioned, also didn't perform as expected, especially thanks to Arsenal's merits.

Lack of reaction capacity

Where Slegers clearly won the game was in managing the substitutions. The Dutch player brought on Blackstenius and Mead in the 67th minute, and they were decisive. The Swede scored the winning goal and was named MVP of the final, while the English player provided the assist. Both revitalized Arsenal when they were at their weakest. The English team also took the lead from a set piece, one of the Catalans' weaknesses. "The goal came from a set piece that we didn't defend well, and they knew how to convert their opportunity. In situations like that, football sometimes punishes you," explains Aitana.

Barça's substitutions, on the other hand, were futile and lacked any kind of responsiveness. Romeu didn't exhaust his game or take risks with his changes: only Salma came on for Pina (62') and Brugts for Rolfö (78'), who were basically the only two doubts in the starting eleven, and Engen was forced to replace the injured Mapi (78'). Once the defeat has been digested, it will serve Barça well to get back on their feet, like this team that has already amply demonstrated it is capable of doing so.