UWCL: OL Lyonnes vs Barcelona is ‘one of the best games you can watch’, says Damaris Egurrola

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·21 maggio 2026

UWCL: OL Lyonnes vs Barcelona is ‘one of the best games you can watch’, says Damaris Egurrola

OL Lyonnes midfielder Damaris Egurrola is relishing the opportunity to face FC Barcelona once again in the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League on Saturday 23 May.

On Saturday evening, the eight-time European champions will face the dominant force that is FC Barcelona in the UWCL final.

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Since joining in 2021, Egurrola is trying to ‘transmit’ her experience at the top level to younger squad members.

Having won the UWCL in her first full season with the club, the 26-year-old is trying to ‘enjoy the moment’, and hopes young players will follow in her footsteps.

“I remember my first final, many of the most experienced players came to me and said ‘you should enjoy the week [of the final],'” Egurrola told the media ahead of the weekend.

“That’s what I’m trying to do now and also trying to transmit that to the new players who don’t have as much experience, because the whole week is a unique and beautiful experience.”

OL Lyonnes building on past encounters with FC Barcelona

Since debuting for OL Lyonnes, the Dutch international has been part of two finals contested between the two sides.

In 2021/22, the club added their eighth European title with a dominant 3-1 win against the Spanish side. However, they were unable to replicate this result two years later in Bilbao. Goals courtesy of Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí secured their victory.

Egurrola admits she ‘isn’t a fan’ of speaking about previous finals, but believes the club were not at their ‘best level’ in 2022. Due to this, they were unable to compete physically with the Spanish outfit.

“We didn’t win our 50-50 duels and that’s how a final has to be won,” she said.

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However, it’s now a very different OL Lyonnes side and the midfielder believes this could be key to their victory.

“We’re really lucky to have an amazing squad as we have this year,” she admitted. “A lot of talented players came, also a mix of more experienced players that have been here a longer time, and also a new coach and new staff, so there’s different ideas.”

‘We deserve to be in the final’

OL Lyonnes are a club synonymous with the competition, and their eight titles speak for themselves. The winning mentality that surrounds the club is something which Egurrola noticed immediately after signing.

“I can say that the first day I arrived in Lyon, it’s the first thing I heard,” she said of the UWCL. “You can feel it in every training, even a warm-up or a normal rondo, everyone gives it all just thinking about that trophy, thinking about lifting that trophy that’s gonna bring you many beautiful moments.”

She describes the trophy lift as an ‘unbelievable’ feeling which the team is hoping to replicate in several days time.

“It [reaching the final] doesn’t happen every year. Of course we would wish that, but the level is amazing. It’s getting more difficult every year, and we’re really lucky so we have to enjoy this moment,” she continued.

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A final for the fans

As two of the biggest names in women’s football, the match is guaranteed to attract high viewing figures. The stadium has a capacity of just over 27,000 and tickets for the final have unsurprisingly sold out.

In fact, the first 18,000 tickets which were released for the final, sold out in less than 30 minutes. The importance of this rivalry was not lost on Egurrola, who highlighted the high fan investment in the game.

She said: “I think it’s also a beautiful game to watch as a fan. If you see Lyon vs Barca in the final, I think it’s one of the best games you can wait for.

“Everyone knows the history and everyone knows Barcelona has been doing amazing in the last few years, I think it’s one of the best games you can watch.”

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When questioned as to whether it’s easier to beat Barcelona in a one-off encounter, the midfielder remained tight-lipped.

“A final is different than semi-finals or quarter-finals, so we have to be as prepared as we can and do the best we can, because we’ve been working really hard to be there and to have a good final.”

Jonatan Giráldez’s impact on OL Lyonnes

Giráldez joined the club last summer, after a brief spell in the National Women’s Soccer League with Washington Spirit.

Egurrola admits they are ‘really lucky’ to have the two-time Champions League winning manager at the helm.

“We’ve changed many things as a group since the beginning of the season, different ideas he wanted for us to do. And for these kind of games, I think we’re really lucky to have all his experience. And also the experience that he’s been in the opposite team [Barcelona] for a long time, so he really knows every single detaul, and that, of course, is beneficial for us.”

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The ideas referenced above include quality depth in midfield. This has allowed to club to play a very possession-based game and suffocate opponents when out of possession.

She said: “No matter who plays, everyone is ready to give their best whenever they come in or start, and I think that’s what brings you to the best moments in the season, to be in finals, and to achieve these trophies. The more connected we are as a whole squad, it’s gonna make the difference.”