Barcelona are the best-represented club in GOAL's XI after reaching a sixth Champions League final in seven seasons, with one Lioness making the cut
On Saturday, the women's European season reached its crescendo as Arsenal stunned Barcelona in the Women's Champions League final. Stina Blackstenius' goal gave the Gunners a surprise 1-0 victory over the winners of the last two titles, securing the English side's first triumph in this competition since 2007.
There are still some loose ends to be tied up on the continent yet. Barca will have to dust themselves off and bounce back in next week's Copa de la Reina final, where victory over Atletico Madrid will secure a domestic treble. It would be an achievement representative of not only their continued domestic dominance but also the fantastic year they have had, despite the heartbreak in Lisbon.
As such, it's no surprise that Barcelona are well-represented in GOAL's Team of the European Women's Season – but who else has made the cut?…
Getty ImagesGK: Cecilia Ran Runarsdottir
Cecilia Ran Runarsdottir has been one of the most exciting goalkeeping prospects in the women's game for several years now, having made her senior debut in her native Iceland at a remarkable 13 years of age. As with most young players in her position, though, she has had to wait patiently for her big breakthrough, with it finally coming at Inter this season.
On loan from Bayern Munich, the 21-year-old was named Serie A's Goalkeeper of the Year after helping the Italian club boast the best defensive record in the division. Runarsdottir conceded 22 goals in 23 games – despite the expected goals statistic predicting she would let in more than 25 – and kept 10 clean sheets, the most in the league. Her save percentage (79.8) was also the best among goalkeepers to play more than one Serie A game, helping Inter to qualify for the Women's Champions League for the very first time.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesRB: Ellie Carpenter
There have been quite a few impressive right-backs in Europe this season. Lucy Bronze deserves a shoutout for a strong first year at Chelsea, with Ona Batlle putting in another fantastic campaign at Barcelona, too. But Ellie Carpenter sneaks ahead of both to land a spot in this XI after playing a crucial role for a Lyon side that, though only able to collect one trophy this term, has been one of the best in Europe all year.
Carpenter has a fantastic reading of the game, the kind of which was evident as she darted in to regain possession in the Premiere Ligue's Championship play-off, allowing Kadidiatou Diani to pick up the ball in a dangerous area and double Lyon's lead in the title-deciding clash with Paris Saint-Germain. She can provide assists herself with a wicked cross, too, and pop up with the odd goal here and there.
But despite playing for a team that is so dominant domestically, and one of the best on the continent, it remains incredibly impressive that none of that has had a negative impact on Carpenter's defensive nous, which is of real top quality.
Getty ImagesCB: Nathalie Bjorn
Injuries to key attacking players meant it was Chelsea's defence that took centre stage in Sonia Bompastor's first season in charge, one which returned a domestic treble for just the second time in the history of the women's team. The Blues had the best defensive record in the Women's Super League and kept a clean sheet in the FA Cup final as that third and final trophy was sealed, with Nathalie Bjorn playing a key role at the heart of such solidity.
It's hard to illustrate how good Bjorn has been with stats. After all, she's been playing in one of the best teams and defences in Europe, so she's not going to lead the way for tackles made or anything like that. What says a lot, though, is the effusive praise that comes from her team-mates and manager when she's brought up, and the fact she was named Chelsea's Players' Player of the Year after one of the best campaigns in club history.
Getty ImagesCB: Millie Bright
Arguably even more colossal in the Chelsea defence this year has been Millie Bright. The Blues' captain has had her injury setbacks in recent seasons, but she was essentially ever-present this time around, which played a huge part in her team's ability to be so strong in defence all year. It wasn't straightforward, either. Injuries to Kadeisha Buchanan, Maelys Mpome and Naomi Girma left Bright and Bjorn as Chelsea's only two centre-back options for most of the campaign, and yet they stood up tall and delivered.
When asked for a quick word on her captain, before the party to celebrate the Blues' unprecedented unbeaten WSL season began, Erin Cuthbert's response said it all. "Class," she told . "Plays every game, trains every session, works so hard, 100 percent relentless in training and I love that about her. Since I've been at the club, I've seen that every single day." That's what a good leader is all about – and Bright is a brilliant one.
