Barcelona vs Lyon predictions: Bilbao battle should be entertaining
- Barcelona have kept one clean sheet in their last five Women’s Champions League games
- Both teams have scored in six of Lyon’s last seven games
- Recommended bet: Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals
It is the Women's Champions League final on Saturday with Barcelona facing Lyon in Bilbao and the Spaniards are hot favourites to retain the title.
However, they were made to battle for their final spot after losing the first leg of their semi-final at home to Chelsea, while they have never beaten Lyon, who secured the French championship last week and could provide a strong test in Bilbao.
Team news
Defender Mapi Leon is still missing for Barcelona with a long-term knee injury, but the Spanish champions should otherwise be at full strength.
Forward Eugenie Le Sommer has been ruled out for Lyon, while midfielder Sara Dabritz will also be missing with an ankle problem.
The stats
Lyon have won all four of their Women’s Champions League games against Barcelona.
Barca have won 17 of their last 18 matches.
Barcelona have kept just one clean sheet in their last five Women’s Champions League matches.
Both teams have scored in six of Lyon’s last seven matches.
Nine of Lyon’s last 10 Women’s Champions League matches have featured at least three goals.
These two sides have shared the last eight Women's Champions League titles between them, with Lyon winning six and Barca two.
Prediction
Barcelona have dropped just two points in 28 La Liga Femenina games this season and have a positive goal difference of 120, but Lyon look capable of pushing them all the way in Saturday’s Women’s Champions League final in Bilbao.
Despite their domestic dominance, their progress to their fourth successive final has not quite been as serene and they were made to battle all the way in their semi-final against Chelsea after losing the home leg 1-0.
And they face a team who will be buzzing after claiming the French title at the weekend, winning a knockout tournament having finished the regular season 11 points ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, who they beat in the semi-final of this competition.
They too have been full of goals and they can threaten a team who have kept only one clean sheet in their last five games in the competition.
The Barca defence proves far from impregnable when they step out of their Spanish comfort zone and they could be mindful that they have lost all four of their games in this competition against OL.
A victory for the French side may be considered a tall order but Barca were made to battle all the way in last year’s final against Wolfsburg — falling two goals behind before winning 3-2 — and the clash at San Mames could follow a similar pattern with both teams netting in a game that features at least three goals in 90 minutes.
Win up to £250,000 with LiveScore 6!
Win up to £250,000 with our free-to-play game, LiveScore 6!
