It must be acknowledged, what happened in Lisbon was a complete letdown. Rarely had a team been such a favorite in a women's Champions League final as Barça was on Portuguese soil. Only when Olympique de Lyon ruled the continent with an iron fist did that same feeling arise; the sense that no one was on par with the reigning champion. The crushing victories over Wolfsburg in the quarterfinals (10-2) and over Chelsea in the semifinals (8-2) were so overwhelming that, in the end, they've turned out to be more harmful than beneficial for the blaugrana's interests. The feeling before the grand final was that only a disastrous afternoon from Pere Romeu's players, combined with an outstanding one from Arsenal, would give the "Gunners" the slightest chance. But soccer, just like fate, is unpredictable, and many times it ends up giving us scenarios that seemed unlikely.
Barça started the Champions League without scoring, falling 2-0 in Manchester. They finished it the same way, also failing to find the net in the final. In between, there were 44 goals in 9 matches, with an average of almost five goals per game. Those staggering numbers weren't enough for FC Barcelona to lift the top continental trophy again on a fateful afternoon, in a match where the Barcelona side was far from the finesse they've accustomed us to. Credit to Arsenal, of course, for managing to prevent the best version of the culés from emerging, keeping the key players of the reigning champion under control at all times.
Neither Alexia nor Aitana were comfortable at any point, and that was evident in the speed at which the ball moved. Carline Graham Hansen, for me the most unbalancing player in the world in one-on-one situations, didn't have her day when it came to breaking through. Neither Claudia Pina at first nor Salma later managed to give depth to the left flank. Ewa Pajor, who played the role of a killer all season, was quite isolated during the match. Everything that could go wrong went wrong in attack. A team designed to press high, to the point of exhausting the opponent, was practically ineffective offensively. In a final, if you don't score, you're bound to lose.
But defeat is part of the journey. It was when this team couldn't win titles. It was also when they began to stand out by lifting different trophies. Before reigning in Europe, they had to taste defeat against Lyon. After conquering the continent, they fell again to the French side. Losing is part of the game, specifically the part that gives winning all its value. Having played 6 of the last 7 Champions League finals proves the work that's done day after day in Women's Barça. Having won three of the last five leaves anyone speechless. With the Copa de la Reina final still to be played, the defeat in Lisbon will serve so that next season we'll see a blaugrana side hungrier than ever, with the urgent need to reclaim their continental crown. Yes, friends, as strange as it may seem, sometimes it's necessary to lose in order to keep winning.