Women's Champions League Final Preview: Three Key Battles in Arsenal vs. Barcelona | OneFootball

It's a mouthwatering matchup between Arsenal and FC Barcelona in Saturday's UEFA Women's Champions League final.

Many will consider Arsenal the underdogs, as they go up against the reigning Champions League winners who are on the cusp of a three-peat.

Barcelona have won 36 out of 39 matches in Liga F and the Champions League this season, lifting the Spanish title along the way. With the team's only defeat in Europe, a 2–1 away loss to Manchester City back in Oct. 2024, it has been more continental domination from the Catalans.

Arsenal went 15-4-3 in the English Women's Super League, finishing in second place behind Chelsea. In the Champions League, Arsenal have lost four matches en route to the final. They have affectionately been known as the "Comeback Queens" of this year's tournament. The Gunners never say die.

Let's take a look at where Saturday's UWCL final could be won and lost.

Arsenal vs. Barcelona: Three Battles to Watch

Steph Catley vs. Ewa Pajor

Polish striker Ewa Pajor has had an outstanding debut season in Barcelona after her move from Wolfsburg. The 28-year-old has 32 goals and 11 assists across 38 matches in Liga F and the Champions League. She only needs one sniff of the goal to punish an opponent.

What Pajor does so well is scan the space between center backs for the space between one of the them and the fullback. As a right-footed player, she has a penchant to drive past the left-sided center back and shoot across the goalkeeper to the bottom left-hand post. It's all in the timing.

Steph Catley is a left-footed former fullback who has become Arsenal manager Renée Slegers's preferred partner with Leah Williamson in the center of the Arsenal backline. How Catley manages her spacing with Williamson alongside her, and Katie McCabe at left fullback could decide this match.

Mariona Caldentey vs. Aitana Bonmatí

This battle of two game-winning players is very intriguing because it may depend on how the two manager select their midfield.

In the semifinals, Arsenal had Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey playing behind the physical Frida Maanum, while Barcelona manager Pere Romeu went for Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, slightly more advanced than Patri Guijarro. Will we see the same aggressive approaches in the final?

Caldentey was named the English Women's Super League player of the season, as she racked up 16 goals and seven assists in 31 WSL and Champions League matches. As a former Barcelona player, she will be well aware of the threat her former teammates pose, breaking lines and playing in the half spaces.

Bonmatí, with 15 goals and 10 assists this season, is up to her usual tricks, hovering around the edge of the box and making things happen with trickery and quick passing. How much will Caldentey have a license to push on and create game-winning moments, like her delectable long-range strike against Lyon in the semifinals? Or, will her focus have to be tracking Bonmatí on the defensive side?

Claudia Pina vs. Emily Fox

Spanish attacker Claudia Pina, 23, has been a new weapon for Barcelona in the Champions League this season. She has far eclipsed her 2023–24 total of one goal and three assists with 10 goals and one assist in 2024–25, more than any other player in the Champions League this year.

After consecutive two-goal appearances off the bench against Wolfsburg and Chelsea at home, Pina was then handed the start in the away leg against Chelsea and repaid Romeu's faith with a gorgeous curling shot from the edge of the box to effectively put the semifinal to bed. She heads into the final with six goals in her last four appearances (183 minutes).

Should Pina get the nod on Barcelona's left wing, she will go up against U.S. women's national team defender Emily Fox. The 26-year-old American is an expert at one-on-one defending and likes the proximity of a ground duel. Fox has been known to join the midfield and sometimes invert to provide midfield cover. Especially in transition and counter-attacking phases of play, Pina may be trying to expose Fox's duties when Arsenal have the ball, to score on the breakaway.