Russo Backs Arsenal to Stun Barca in UCL Final

News Desk

Islamabad: Arsenal face a monumental challenge in Saturday’s Women’s Champions League final as they take on the dominant force of European football—Barcelona. Despite the daunting task, in-form striker Alessia Russo believes the Gunners have the quality to overcome the Catalan giants.

Barcelona have stormed into their fifth straight Champions League final, dismantling English champions Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals. They are now chasing a fourth European title in five years, with the final set to take place at Sporting Lisbon’s Estádio José Alvalade.

Arsenal, still the only English club to win Europe’s top prize—back in 2007 when it was known as the UEFA Women’s Cup—have shown they’re returning to the elite level. Impressive victories over Real Madrid and Lyon have underlined their resurgence, with the 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium now serving as their primary home ground.

Russo joined Arsenal in 2023 from Manchester United on a free transfer, just months after United rejected a then-record £500,000 bid from the Gunners. The 26-year-old had risen to prominence as a super-sub during England’s Euro 2022 triumph and later led the line in the Lionesses’ run to the 2023 World Cup final.

Her debut season at Arsenal was a challenging one, marked by inconsistent form as the team failed to qualify for the Champions League group stage and finished third in the Women’s Super League. However, the appointment of Renee Slegers as head coach in place of Jonas Eidevall has revitalized both Russo and the squad.

This season, Russo was named the Football Writers’ Women’s Player of the Year and shared the WSL Golden Boot with Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw, each scoring 12 goals. She has particularly excelled in the Champions League, where her seven goals make her the joint second-highest scorer in the competition alongside teammate Mariona Caldentey.

Russo’s standout moments include a rapid double against Real Madrid to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit, and a goal in the stunning 4-1 away win against Lyon in the semi-finals.

“Every striker goes through spells where the goals don’t come, and it can be tough being judged mainly on scoring,” Russo told talkSPORT. “But I’m always looking to push myself, to score more. Playing alongside world-class teammates who create those chances makes my job easier—it’s just about finishing them.”

As Arsenal prepare to face Europe’s most consistent team, Russo remains confident. “We know how strong and consistent Barcelona are at this level,” she said. “But when we’re playing at our best, we’re exceptional too. We’ve shown this season that we can be world-class, and we believe we can prove that again in the final.”