UEFA Women's Champions League Final: Who to watch as FC Barcelona eye redemption against Lyon

In 2019, the UEFA Women's Champions League final, the pinnacle of European club football, was all but wrapped up inside 30 minutes.

Lyon had dismantled Barcelona in the first half and that was enough for them to lift the trophy.

Dzsenifer Marozsán scored in the opening five minutes, before Ada Hegerberg completed a hat trick on the half hour mark.

A late goal from Asisat Oshoala was nothing more than a consolation for a beaten Barcelona side.

In 2021, the Spanish side inflicted an eerily similar defeat onto Chelsea to get their hands on the coveted trophy.

That brings us to 2022, where Lyon and Barça will meet once again with the latter eyeing redemption for that fateful final three years ago.

Ahead of the highly-anticipated clash, here's everything you need to know including players who could be potential difference makers.

Women's Champions League 2022: The road to the final

FC Barcelona

The reigning champions kicked their Champions League defence off in style, seeing off English opponents Arsenal with a 4-1 win.

And the reverse fixture back in December told a similar story, though Arsenal were unable to get a goal as they were beaten 4-0.

None of their Group C opponents could really get close to Barça, as they emerged top of the group with a 100% win record, conceding just one and scoring 24.

They were ultimately drawn against league rivals Real Madrid to set up an exhilarating quarter-final tie.

It was business as usual in the first leg, winning 3-1 away from home.

But it was history for the second leg, as Barça packed out the Camp Nou to break the record attendance to witness their progression into the semi-final.

Against VfL Wolfsburg, the Catalan club broke the record once again as they ran out 5-1 winners in the first leg.

The second leg didn't quite go according to plan, however, as Wolfsburg's 2-0 win ended their 45-game winning streak.

But the damage had already been inflicted first time round, and Barça booked their tickets to Italy for the final.

Lyon

Lyon are the most successful team in the history of the Women's Champions League.

That is a fact.

So it was quite the upset last season when their rivals - Paris Saint-Germain - sent them packing in the quarter-finals before clinching the league title ahead of them.

It was just the third time Lyon had failed to make the final of the competition since 2010 - winning seven of the nine they did reach.

This season they came back with a vengeance, winning five of their six group games; losing just once to Bayern Munich.

Lyon looked like they could succumb to yet another quarter-final exit after a first leg to defeat to Juventus.

But a 3-1 second leg win kept their Champions League dreams alive.

Paris Saint-Germain stood in their way of reaching the final, and a closely contested tie across two legs - ending 3-2, 2-1 - saw Lyon book their place in the final.

Players to watch in the UEFA Women's Champions League final

The exciting reality is that neither FC Barcelona nor Lyon are lacking when it comes to top drawer talent on show.

Spanish giants Barça boast the likes of Alexia Putellas and Caroline Graham Hansen while Lyon can call upon Ada Hegerberg and Amandine Henry to see them succeed.

And with experience comes youth prospects that both sides could turn to from the bench, in the form of Claudia Pina (Barça) and Melvine Malard (Lyon).

But there are two players in particular that should be on everyones radar: Aitana Bonmati and Catarina Macario.

Both players look set to start for their respective clubs and have the ability to be key in how the final will unfold.

Aitana Bonmati - FC Barcelona

Plucked straight from La Masia, Aitana Bonmati encapsulates the heart and soul of FC Barcelona.

The 24-year-old is an extraordinary talent nurtured through Barça's youth academy and is continuing to make a name for herself as one of the most exciting midfielders in the game.

While club captain Alexia Putellas earns the plaudits - as her performances warrant - Bonmati sits next to her the middle of the park quietly helping her side tick.

And it isn't a stretch to say that shades of her game are reminiscent of a young Lionel Messi lighting up the Camp Nou.

More specifically the way she moves - or more aptly, glides - with the ball at her feet with style and speed.

Her height helps with that, standing at 5 foot 4 Bonmati perceives it as an advantage to her game.

"I have a very low centre of gravity and it is very difficult to take the ball away from me," she said in an interview with Marca back in 2019.

"Everything has its pros and cons. I know that I am going to take [few] balls, but I am more dynamic and faster than other teammates."

This season in the Champions League, Bonmati has registered three goals and two assists so far and it would not be a surprise to see her add to that tally in the final.

She grabbed the third goal in Barça's 4-0 thumping of Chelsea in the final last year.

With her constant movement on, and perhaps more importantly off, the ball, she can be hard to track for opposition players.

Bonmati is ultimately a player that can turn a game on its head, and that kind of ability could be crucial in tipping to tie in Barcelona's favour.

Catarina Macario - Lyon

Standing out among a Lyon side that has continued to dominate European football for years is no easy feat; yet Catarina Macario does so with ease.

And it is all the more impressive knowing she has been able to perform at the highest level while settling into a new club and country after making the move from America.

Macario has been lauded by not only those who get to see her play, but those who have played with her.

USWNT teammate Megan Rapinoe went as far as saying she is "a different kind of player than we've ever had", and backs her to go to the very top.

She has solidified her place in the Lyon team, and has shown to make the difference across the front line whether she is scoring goals and creating them.

The 22-year-old made the switch in 2021, making a first impression to the tune of five goals in seven appearances.

Macario has grown into her role at the club, and that has resulted in a standout season that has seen her register 13 goals and five assists in the league.

That form has been prevalent in the Champions League too, playing a leading role with seven goals and two assists to put Lyon within touching distance of the trophy.

She has rapidly grown into one of the most complete players we've seen across Europe, showing abilities beyond her years.

Macario's highly intelligent way of reading the game and making things happen in key moments could prove to be a difference maker in the final.

How to watch the 2022 Champion's League final

You know how the teams earned their spot in the final, and who you need to be keeping an eye out for, but the real question is how do you watch this guaranteed spectacle?

Just as they have throughout the entire competition, DAZN will be streaming the final across their platform and on YouTube in over 200 countries.

More information on that can be found here.

Held at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, the final kicks off at 19:00 CEST on Saturday 21 May.