Aitana Bonmati Expresses Surprise At Arsenal's Unexpected Journey To Champions League Final

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Aitana Bonmati expressed her surprise at Arsenal's unexpected journey to the Women's Champions League final. Barcelona, aiming to defend their European title, will face Arsenal in Lisbon. The Gunners, who last won the championship in 2007, made a remarkable comeback against Lyon to secure their spot in the final.

Barcelona has been a dominant force, winning the European title in 2021, 2023, and 2024. Arsenal's path to the final was unexpected for Bonmati, as they had not faced each other since Barcelona's victories over them in the 2021-22 group stage. "For me, it was a surprise, Arsenal reaching the final," Bonmati told ESPN.

Arsenal's semi-final victory over Lyon was notable as they overturned a first-leg deficit. After losing 2-1 at home, they triumphed 4-1 away with goals from Mariona Caldentey, Alessia Russo, Caitlin Foord, and an own goal by Christiane Endler. This result marked only the third time Lyon failed to capitalise on a first-leg lead in 28 instances.

Caldentey will face familiar opponents on Saturday after spending a decade with Barcelona before joining Arsenal last July. She and Bonmati have shared many victories together at Barca. "I am looking forward to it," Bonmati said about facing Caldentey as an opponent for the first time.

Their partnership at Barcelona resulted in an impressive record of 37 wins out of 47 Champions League matches played together. With them on the field, Barcelona boasted a win rate of nearly 79% and averaged over three goals per game.

Scoring Prowess and New Challenges

Caldentey has been prolific this season with seven Champions League goals. Only Claudia Pina from Barcelona has scored more with ten goals. Bonmati acknowledged that playing against Caldentey would be unusual given their long history together both at club level and with Spain's national team.

The upcoming match presents a fresh challenge for Barcelona as they have never faced Arsenal in a final before. "It's a new challenge for us," Bonmati noted about playing against a different team like Arsenal after several years.

This encounter promises excitement as both teams bring unique strengths to the pitch. While Barcelona seeks to continue its reign in Europe, Arsenal aims to reclaim glory after nearly two decades since their last triumph.