da betobet： Barca Femeni are looking to win a second Champions League title in three years, which would see them match the feat of Pep Guardiola's incredible side

da bwin： When Barcelona's women's team walk out at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven on June 3, they'll be making a fourth appearance in a Champions League final in just five years. It’s a rate that the men’s team couldn’t even produce during the golden era between 2006 and 2015, when they were European champions four times.

Win the game, to be played against German giants Wolfsburg, and it’ll represent a second title in three years – matching the achievements of Pep Guardiola, Lionel Messi and co. from 2009-11. It'll put them in the conversation as the greatest Barca team of all-time.

Despite missing two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas for most of it, this season has been another insane one for the Catalans’ women’s team. But for defeat on the final weekend to Madrid CFF, it would’ve been another invincible one.

Still, their record in Liga F this term remains sensational – with 28 wins out of 30 games and 118 goals scored along the way, with just 10 conceded. It’s form that has continued in Europe, too, where they’ve also only failed to win twice. One more victory is all they need now to cap it off in style.

The last time Barca won two European titles in three years, Messi was the star, though he had a sensational supporting cast, too. Be it the dreamy midfield trio of Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andres Iniesta or the attackers either side of the Argentine, Pedro and David Villa, the team that beat Manchester United in the 2011 final is a memorable one.

So, who have been the pivotal performers for a Barca Femeni side on the brink of equalling their accomplishment? Partnered with Heineken's Fresher Football, GOAL takes a look…

GettyMapi Leon

There is no better centre-back in the women’s game than Mapi Leon. She’s the perfect ball-playing defender that Barcelona demand, but with exceptional defensive qualities, too.

Her stats in the UWCL this year underline that perfectly – no player has completed more passes in the competition – and, on the flip side, no player has won possession back more often, either. She’s also second for successful passes in the final third and joint-fifth for chances created. Not bad at all.

“I'm very happy here, I think it shows,” Leon said in an interview with recently. “In the end it's something that can also be seen in the performance. I think it's difficult for a player to bring out her best if she's not happy in the team or in the city. And I am very happy.”

It certainly does show.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesFridolina Rolfo

When Fridolina Rolfo signed for Barcelona in the summer of 2021, the big question was: Where will she play? The club was not crying out for a left-winger and, indeed, that’s not where she’s excelled since her arrival.

Rolfo has instead adopted a new role, at left-back. In a team like Barcelona, it’s a role which basically acts like a second winger when the team has possession, so the Swede has been able to show all of her attacking qualities.

What has been most impressive about her time in Catalunya to date, though, is how she has grown and improved in her defensive play. She is joint-top with Leon for the number of times she has won possession back in the UWCL this season, and level on chances created too.

Often, when an attacking player is put into a more defensive position, it hinders them. Rolfo, though, is shining brighter than ever.

GettyPatri Guijarro

The unsung hero of this Barca team is Patri Guijarro. It’s something that anyone who has watched them play knows well, with her ability on the ball in that deep-lying midfield role crucial to creating attacks, while her reading of the game is often what stops the opposition mounting a counter.

Her position is one that might be more associated with backwards and sideways passes, but Guijarro’s contributions in the final third are huge. In fact, only two players have completed more passes in the final third in the UWCL this term.

“I think if you're talking about [one of] the world's best midfielders, she's definitely up there – and I probably don't think she gets enough credit,” Keira Walsh, who joined Barca last summer, said earlier this season. “I think if you're looking at the Ballon d'Or and the voting, I think she should definitely be in there.”

That’s the sort of credit the 25-year-old deserves more often.

GettyAitana Bonmati

Has there been a better player in Europe this season than Aitana Bonmati? It’s hard to argue so. Putellas’ absence and the integration of Walsh means the entire midfield has had to step up this year and Bonmati has done that exceptionally well.

She's been directly involved in more goals in the UWCL than any other player, with five goals and six assists from 10 matches, while only Roma's Manuela Giugliano has created more chances.

But, as appears to be a common theme in this Barca side, the midfielder's attacking talents are perfectly complemented by defensive abilities. "Three or four years ago, I decided that if I wanted to be a complete player, I had to do those things also," she told GOAL earlier this season. "Not only score and make assists, but also do defensive tasks to help the team."

No player has won possession back more often in the final third, with Bonmati’s intelligence in her pressing and her reading of the play so often helping Barca recover the ball in dangerous areas.