Introduction. UEFA Women's Champions League

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1 UEFA Women's Champions League UEFA Women's Champions League Latest News Video Photos Matches Standings Clubs Statistics Draws Final Format Technical report History Introduction The fourth Technical Report to be published by UEFA is based on analysis of the matches played as from the quarter-final stage of the 2017/18 UEFA Women s Champions League. It was the ninth edition of the competition initially launched as the UEFA Women s Cup in 2001, when 33 teams took their places on the starting grid. When the curtain rose on the 2017/18 season, the number of participating clubs had risen to 61, reflecting the steady growth of the women s game since the turn of the century. 1

2 The Technical Report provides information, statistics, comment, analysis and debating points which, it is hoped, will offer food for thought to coaches involved in the women s game, in particular those working at development levels. It is based on the input from a team of experienced coaches who pooled UEFA.com their information and observations at a meeting in Kyiv on the day after the first UEFA Women s Champions League final to be played in Ukraine. For the ninth and last time, the event was staged two days before the final of the equivalent competition for men. The team of observers comprised Jarmo Matikainen (Finland), Anja Palusevic (Germany), Hope Powell (England) and Monika Staab (Germany) all of them former national team coaches and/or UEFA and FIFA instructors. At the final and the meeting, they were joined by the former national team coach of Italy and Canada, Carolina Morace. The final was the last to be pegged to the final of the equivalent men s competition. The event was staged at the Valeriy Lobanovskyi Stadium in Kyiv, two days before Real Madrid CF and Liverpool FC took centre-stage in the Ukrainian capital. International player Iya Andrushchak acted as ambassador during the promotional activities which raised the profile of the UEFA Women s Champions League final. 2

3 Road to the final Stjarnan's creditable campaign ended at the hands of Slavia Praha in the round of 16 Pavel Jiřík The ball started rolling in late August 2017 with ten qualifying groups played as four-team minitournaments and this initial phase of the competition proved fruitful, with 237 goals at an average of 3.95 per fixture. The 10 group winners progressed to the knockout stage, along with FC Zürich, who cleared the hurdle as best runner-up. The draw decreed that they would meet Group 1 winners Gintra Universitetas in the Round of 32, when a 2-1 victory in Switzerland allowed the Lithuanian team to earn a place in the last 16. Among the other clubs who had started in the qualifying round, the only other team to equal that achievement was Stjarnan of Iceland, 5-1 aggregate victors over Russia s Rossiyanka. Neither, however, made further progress, although Stjarnan performed well to hold Slavia Praha to a narrow 2-1 aggregate deficit. The eyebrow-raising result of the first knockout round was VfL Wolfsburg s 12-2 home win against Atlético Madrid, who had beaten FC Barcelona to the Spanish title. The scoreboard read 8-1 at half-time and, when the final whistle sounded, a dozen of the home team s 14 on-target goal attempts had found the net. The opposite was Getty Images Drew Spence on target for Chelsea against Bayern 3

4 the case in Montpellier, where none of the home team s 32 attempts hit the net, allowing Zvezda 2005 to edge a 0-1 victory which was then overturned by a brace of Sofia Jakobsson goals in the second half in Russia. Elsewhere, Glasgow City narrowly failed to rebound from a 3-0 first leg defeat by BIIK-Kazygurt, a 4-1 result in Scotland allowing the club from Kazakhstan to shade it on away goals. The other tie to be decided by the same rule was a clash of giants between Chelsea and FC Bayern München. After an early goal by Drew Spence had earned a 1-0 win in London, Emma Hayes team took the lead through Fran Kirby on the hour-mark and Bayern s rousing finish produced a 2-1 win that sent Chelsea through. The overall balance of the round was 107 goals; only three draws; only four home wins in the first-leg matches; and nine in the reverse fixtures. Despite the epic result in Wolfsburg, the average fell to 3.34 goals per fixture. Curiously, it surged upwards again during the Round of 16, largely thanks to the two French clubs rattling in 25 goals between them, Ada Hegerberg accounting for eight of Olympique Lyonnais tally of 16 against BIIK-Kazygurt, whereas Montpellier s nine against Brescia were shared by as many players. With Fiorentina, despite a creditable 3-3 draw in Wolfsburg, also falling, Italy s challenge was brought to an end. The Nordic challenge also faltered, with Linköping alone in clearing this hurdle while Rosengård were falling to Chelsea, LSK to Manchester City and Stjarnan to Slavia Praha. The latter s neighbours, Sparta, were the team to be eliminated by Linköping. Slavia s 2-1 aggregate win was, by far, the slimmest margin. The other ties registered differences of three goals or more. The first-leg fixtures in this round yielded only one home win (Chelsea 3 Rosengård 0) with an unusual balance of seven goals for home teams and 28 for visitors. A total of 66 goals were scored in the round at an average of 4.13 per match. The goalscoring momentum was maintained by the 27 goals scored in the quarter-finals 10 of them during the tie between Manchester City and Linköping. The Swedish team focused on deep defending after Liza Lantz had committed two yellow-card offences in as many minutes, conceding a penalty in the process. After limiting the damage to a 2-0 defeat in Manchester, they were again overwhelmed by the power-play of Nick Cushing s team and were dealt four further blows in the first half of the return. Lower intensity, more distant marking and lapses of defensive concentration after the interval allowed Linköping to bow out with a degree of grace after a 3-5 defeat. Slavia Praha s brave campaign was effectively ended in Wolfsburg, where they were obliged to find long-ball solutions to the home team s high pressing a ploy comfortably annulled Wolfsburg s central midfielders. Pavel Medynský adjusted his game plan after the interval and better organisation limited the Getty Images Wolfsburg celebrations against Slavia Praha 4

5 damage to a 5-0 defeat. Slavia, nonetheless, adopted a valiant approach to the return leg against a much-changed Wolfsburg team, concentrating their ball-winning efforts into a deeper midfield area and attacking dangerously along the flanks to earn a well-deserved 1-1 draw. Montpellier may have felt they deserved better against Chelsea. They played neatly through the thirds and concentrated on attacking Chelsea s back line of three down the left. But they were hit by two second-half goals and, despite upping the tempo and adopting a more direct approach, they failed to find a reply. Working equally hard, defending stoutly, executing fast transitions, they ticked many boxes in the return but were let down by inaccurate finishing and, conceding early in each half, were beaten 3-1. Barcelona travelled to Lyon with a functional, well-prepared game plan; defended exceptionally well; and responded with composure to the expected dominance by the reigning champions. Their reward was an away goal in a 2-1 defeat and, in the return before a big crowd at the Mini Estadi, stuck to their patient possession game, even though OL pressed high and invited them to resort to the long ball. The visitors passing game and attacking variations allowed them to exercise control and a set-play goal on the hour mark allowed them to consolidate their game management and ward off Barcelona s attempts to reply. The reward for Reynald Pedros team was a repeat of the previous season s semi-final against Nick Cushing s Manchester City. They travelled to England with the intention of reasserting the control they had exercised in Barcelona, enjoying a lot of possession in City s half and showing patience and quality in their combination play. Getty Images Lyon's Lucy Bronze scores against Manchester City But City maintained pace, intensity and concentration over the 90 minutes and, despite some wayward passing at both ends of the pitch, denied the visitors opportunities to score. The return leg was a similar story, with City forced on to the back foot against an OL side that opted to change to a structure with a midfield diamond. After former City full-back Lucy Bronze had struck a stunning early goal, the visitors struggled to shake off the Lyon stranglehold and penetrate into the final third. The 1-0 final score understated the degree of domination imposed by the home team s composed possession play. In London, Wolfsburg struggled initially against Chelsea s aggressive high pressing but, as the home team s energy began to flag, came back into the game with effective wing play, some neat combination football and well-organised set plays. Although Chelsea showed great spirit, there was little argument about the 1-3 scoreline which seemed destined to settle the tie. In Germany, Chelsea reverted to their formation ( in the first leg), only for Wolfsburg to attack 5

6 strongly through the spaces behind the wing-backs. The visitors attacks were focused on fast incursions on the left, but the emphasis was on determined defending and shot-blocking against opponents who created a string of opportunities and converted two of them without reply. Wolfsburg s 5-1 aggregate victory had earned them a trip to Kyiv and a repeat of their 2016 final against Olympique Lyonnais. 6

7 The final Camille Abily (second right) leads the Lyon celebrations after the French side's second goal in the final Getty Images A wing of change Ninety minutes of frustration followed by half an hour of pure drama. That was the emotional map of the two hours of matchplay acted out at the Valeriy Lobanovskyi Stadium while a sunny evening gradually faded into twilight and darkness. It was a final when the lights suddenly came on literally and figuratively. There were great expectations among a crowd of 14,237 as VfL Wolfsburg and Olympique Lyonnais took the field to re-enact the 2016 final in which extra-time and penalties had taken the action close to the witching hour. Although both teams were now being directed by different coaches, there was more than a hint of déjà vu, with the team sheets in Kyiv featuring 23 names familiar to those who had watched the proceedings in Reggio Emilia. 7

8 As the home team, Wolfsburg were entitled to remain faithful to their white-and-green livery and to the structure which had served them well on the road to the final. Lyon, less familiar in navy blue, generally mirrored their opponents formation while in possession but were ready for fast transitions into compact Sportsfile Wolfsburg's Pernille Harder was well marshalled defending, albeit with a high line that gave Sarah Bouhaddi ample room to exercise her goalkeeping talents outside the box. Frustratingly for the spectators, she was rarely obliged to do so. As soon as the Czech referee signalled for the ball to start rolling, it became apparent that familiarity was breeding respect. The teams had studied each other meticulously. Lyon, wary of Wolfsburg s attacking potential, adopted a risk-management approach, maintaining good balance and ensuring that the opposition had minimal possibilities to execute counterattacks. Wolfsburg matched them for caution, keeping the two central midfielders, Alexandra Popp and Sara Bjork Gunnarsdóttir, in their screening positions, while the back four was efficiently marshalled by the strong, athletic Nilla Fischer. There was no positional interchanging and the aura of stalemate was epitomised by the contest between Pernilla Harder, Wolfsburg s main attacking threat operating in the wake of lead striker Ewa Pajor, and Lyon s industrious holding midfielder Saki Kumagai. As remarked by Anja Palusevic, one of UEFA s technical team in Kyiv, Harder was well covered by her direct opponent and, especially during the first half, struggled to show her total qualities. Wolfsburg s approach play focused on the wide areas. With Lyon s high pressing pre-empting comfortable construction through the thirds, the norm was for the keeper or one of the centrebacks to hit long diagonals to open up the play. But Caroline Graham Hansen and Lara Dickenmann failed to assert themselves on the wings, while Ewa Pajor, unable to find spaces through the middle, also found it difficult to penetrate when she drifted wide to receive. Unhampered by high pressing, Lyon were able to build patiently from the back, looking impressively composed in possession and probing for openings by switching the game rapidly to the wingers. But they struggled to play through the middle third and their best attempts came from a counter when Wolfsburg had committed players forward for a set piece or from long-range shooting or set plays of their own. The creative skills of Dzsenifer Marozsan were stifled by Wolfsburg s aggressive midfield pressing and, as the half-hour mark approached, she began to look around for accomplices as Lyon s high collective pressing began to fade, giving Wolfsburg greater chances to string together some combination play. But, apart from a brief spell of end-to-end play around the quarter-hour mark, there was little to deter the fans from amusing themselves with the Mexican Wave. Passing was so hurried and edgy that play was punctuated by throw-ins and the technical observers shared the frustrating 8

9 feeling that such high-quality players were unable to express themselves on a stage which was ideal for the promotion of the beautiful game. When the referee s whistle heralded half-time, thrills had been few and far between. The ominous news for Wolfsburg was that Caroline Graham Hansen did not reappear after the interval, with Tessa Wullaert taking her place. There was further disruption when Gunnarsdóttir had to be withdrawn 12 minutes later Joelle Wedermeyer coming on to try to maintain the effective midfield AFP/Getty Images Amandine Henry on the front foot for Lyon partnership with Popp. Lyon began to create more chances to test Almuth Schult, who needed to display her 1 v 1 goalkeeping talents after ball-losses in critical defensive areas had allowed Eugénie Le Sommer and Amandine Henry to run at her. And so, as the floodlights began to cast shadows in higher definition, to extra-time and to a totally different game. Within minutes, Schult had found Harder with a long pass to the left. For once, Kumagai had been drawn out of position. The Denmark attacker set off on a run marked by changes of pace and direction against opponents who gave her enough space to strike a leftfooted shot that made its way past Bouhaddi s outstretched right arm into the corner of the net. Wolfsburg jubilation was intense but short-lived. It was followed almost immediately by two pivotal moments. Firstly, Reynald Pedros injected pace and fresh legs into the Lyon attack by sending on European champion winger Shanice van de Sanden for the tiring Kumagai. And, within seconds, Popp launched herself into a two-footed tackle wide on the right in opposition territory, practically in front of the Lyon bench. Already yellow-carded in the second half, it earned her a dismissal. Stephan Lerch, with three changes made and the midfield disrupted, hurriedly tried to re-shuffle his cards into a defensive pack. Pedros, however, held the trump card. Within seconds, Ada Hegerberg lofted a pass into the path of Henry who, cutting in from the right and muscling past a tackle, struck hard into the top corner. In the blink of an eye, a through pass set van de Sanden clear on the right. She outpaced the defence and struck a low cross that the onrushing Le Sommer turned into the net. The Wolfsburg lead which had taken 93 minutes to build had been demolished in a matter of seconds. 9

10 Within four minutes, the damage was compounded. Henry and Le Sommer combined to win possession in Lyon s defensive third and launch an immediate counter, Le Sommer hitting a deep pass behind the Wolfsburg left-back to the sprinting van de Sanden, whose cross was hit into the ground by Hegerberg Getty Images The dangerous Ada Hegerberg taking aim for OL with the bounce taking it high into the net, allowing her to celebrate a record 15th goal in the competition. With four minutes remaining, a Lucy Bronze throw-in on the halfway line was shielded by Hegerberg and touched to van de Sanden. Outstripping the defence again, she cut the ball back for the coup de grâce to be delivered by Camille Abily practically her first touch in her two minutes on the pitch as another inspired substitution. Lyon had shown quality and efficiency at the crucial juncture to score four excellent goals in eight minutes. When the final whistle sounded, the occupants of the Lyon bench raced on to the pitch. The players, however, did not race anywhere. Physically and emotionally exhausted, they collapsed like a pack of cards on to the grass while Pedros fell to his knees near the touchline and directed a heartfelt shout to the heavens. Lerch, as shell-shocked as his players, admitted to an empty feeling. We gave our all over 120 minutes and put in a good fight, he said, and it leaves you with a certain bitterness to realise it wasn t enough. Deep into the Kyiv night, Lyon celebrated a third consecutive title a hat-trick which Real Madrid were to replicate in the same city two days later. 10

11 Technical topics Lyon players celebrate AFP/Getty Images Three successive titles don t lie. Olympique Lyonnais re-asserted their status at the peak of European club football, while VfL Wolfsburg travelled home to Germany with the bitter aftertaste of another defeat at the hands of the team that had beaten them in the 2016 final of the UEFA Women s Champions League. With such a firmly established European hierarchy, the question to be re-fuelled by the final in Kyiv was what can be done elsewhere to challenge the elite. The first thing, commented Monika Staab when the team of UEFA Technical Observers met on the morning after the final, is that the match demonstrated that no other team can match the Lyon bench. Teams like Barcelona and Manchester City are trying to challenge at the top, Jarmo Matikainen added. But, in playing terms, we are seeing that one of the factors is that so many teams are not used to high pressing and don t really know how to cope with it. If you want to challenge the best, you need to start finding solutions and maybe this is a problem that a lot of teams don t encounter in their national leagues. Press release 11

12 After Lyon s sustained high pressing had wreaked devastating effects on opponents in earlier rounds, it was also a key factor at the sharp end of the competition. In the semi-final against Manchester City, for example, Reynald Pedros team regained possession in City territory 27 times in Manchester and 29 Getty Images Action from the Lyon-Manchester City semi-final times at home compared with 11 and 8 times respectively by their opponents. The UEFA observer in Lyon noted City had a problems in retaining ball possession and they were forced into a large number of passing errors when trying to play their way out. City s investments in high pressing had paid handsome dividends in the previous round against Linköping and, as Monika Staab had observed, Linköping exerted no pressure up front, making it easier for City to play their way out. But, as the statistics indicate, City s high pressing was more poorly rewarded when attempted against the technically-gifted Lyon players. The importance of technical abilities in tight situations was illustrated by Lyon s quarter-final against FC Barcelona, when their tally of high regains was also healthy, but Spanish levels of skill equipped Fran Sánchez s team to remain confident and composed in possession in the face of sustained high pressure. They had good connections between lines, said Jarmo Matikainen, and Lieke Martens was especially good at getting into pockets to receive. Wolfsburg were less assiduous in their high pressing, doing so only on occasions rather than systematically in the final. They also adopted a conservative approach during the semi-final against a Chelsea side that dominated possession with a patient build-up from the back to entice the opposition to press. One of the interesting facets of Wolfsburg s quarter-final against Slavia Praha was that, in the first leg in Germany, both teams set out to press high. But, for the Czech team, the high-intensity pressing game was unsustainable over the 90 minutes and their first-half efforts were undermined when the home team exploited spaces between lines to find escape routes. At the other end of the pitch, Slavia set out to build through their centre-backs but, with the home team pressing aggressively, they found themselves obliged to play into enemy hands by hitting long balls towards the flanks almost all of them comfortably intercepted by the Wolfsburg midfielders. In the return match, Pavel Medynsky opted for aggressive lower pressing in midfield which allowed his team to defend in more compact fashion and earn a very creditable draw against the silver-medallists. In the final, Lyon won the ball in opposition territory only 13 times; Wolfsburg 11. I think that, overall, teams in-possession qualities were not really good enough to play out from high pressing, Jarmo Matikainen remarked. Teams need to find ways to avoid playing long or, at least, to develop mechanisms that will make longer options more effective. Anja Palusevic 12

13 remarked Wolfsburg had a clear strategy: they would only build from the back if they were not being pressed. If they were, the Plan B would usually be to play to Nilla Fischer for her to play a long diagonal pass to the flank. I think we should recognise that the long pass to the wide areas is a valid option, Carolina Morace added. And the other dimension is that if you throw players forward to press high, you need to back this with well-organised defensive mechanisms so that your team retains its shape. Back to basics As a coach, Hope Powell conceded, it s easy to overlook the importance of the basics. If you want to build a competitive team, you need to spend training-ground time on the first touch, body postures when receiving the ball and so on. We ve been talking about even at this level the number of passes going astray Getty Images Montpellier's passing stats were quite remarkable and, many times, it s because of basic abilities. As a statistical reference point, it may be useful to point out that Lyon hit 564 passes with a completion rate (reception by a team-mate rather than an opponent) of 80% in the home leg of the quarter-final against Barcelona, whose tallies were 524 and 81% respectively. Over the two legs of the semi-final against Manchester City, Lyon executed passes with a completion rate of 83% (922 and 81% by City). By contrast, Montpellier s success rate in the home game against Chelsea was 72%, while the latter, in the semi-final against Wolfsburg, hit 832 passes with a success rate of 72%. The German team played 829 passes with a completion rate of 73%. In the final, the accuracy of passing was 75% for Wolfsburg and 79% by Lyon. By way of reference, finalists Real Madrid and Liverpool averaged 89% and 84% respectively over the season and the overall passing accuracy among the 32 contestants in the men s equivalent competition was 85%. As Carolina Morace reflected, This links with the point we were making before, because some players still have difficulties to hit an accurate long pass. If we want teams to play attractive football, we have to train players in the right way and to work on their agility and fluidity of movement. At EURO 2017, Jarmo Matikainen agreed, we were impressed by top athletes and we need to transfer those standards into club football. And, when it comes to competing at the highest level, we need to ask what the requirements are in our domestic leagues and what sort of demands are going to be made when we step into the Champions League. Morace s reference to long passing can be backed by statistics. Of Lyon s 564 passes in the home leg against Barcelona, for example, only 2% were long. The figure for the visitors was 4.6%. 13

14 During the two legs of the Lyon v Manchester City semi-final, the percentage for both teams was between 6% and 7%. On the other hand, the other semi-final provided figures more similar to parameters in the men s competition, with both Chelsea s and Wolfsburg s percentages creeping into double figures. In the final, however, long deliveries accounted for 8% of Wolfsburg s passing and 6% of Lyon s. The search for role models in the art of long passing could easily begin with Wolfsburg s Nilla Fischer and Manchester City s Stephanie Houghton, both excellent providers of accurate passes over distance. Bend me, shape me Structural flexibility was almost the norm among the top teams. Linköping switched between and against Manchester City; Montpellier switched from to when chasing the result against Chelsea. The latter forsook their habitual for a structure when they entertained Getty Images Lyon handled Barcelona with care in the quarters Wolfsburg; Slavia Praha permuted with ; Wolfsburg, although basically loyal to their , did change momentarily to against Slavia. FC Barcelona stuck to a formation, as did Lyon, except for the switch to to protect the favourable result in Barcelona and the effective switch to a midfield diamond for the return leg of the semi-final against Manchester City s , deploying Camille Abily at the cutting edge behind the two strikers, Ada Hegerberg and Eugénie Le Sommer. The use of the diamond not only laid foundations for domination in midfield but also opened wide channels for attacking runs by the full-backs. In other words, structures metamorphosed frequently in response to the characteristics of the opposition. The debating point is to what extent this is appropriate compared with Zinédine Zidane s policy at Real Madrid: our game does not change, no matter who the opponent is. All we do is to inform the players about our opponents individual characteristics to make them aware of specific responses. Less visible than the structural changes was positional flexibility. Wolfsburg might point to Alexandra Popp s permutations between screening midfielder and advanced roles as an example but, again, Lyon set the benchmarks the riches of the champions squad allowing Reynald Pedros many options. I have to raise my hat to Lyon, Jarmo Matikainen admitted, because the players change roles so seamlessly. In Barcelona, important positional changes stabilised the team and posed new problems to the opposition. The team was blessed with so many options as we saw during the final when Shanice van de Sanden came on to inject pace on the right wing when playing against ten. We all saw the big impact that she made. 14

15 Most teams, however, were more rigid in their positional strategy. I think some teams are so dominant in their national leagues that they don t see a need to change, Anja Palusevic opined. I missed that element of freedom within a playing system. And I believe that when you step up to this high level it demands a degree of flexibility. Spreading the wings The presence of Shanice van de Sanden on the Lyon bench served as a reminder that genuine wingers are no longer automatic inclusions in starting line-ups. Manchester City provided an exception to the rule, fielding Melissa Lawley, initially on the right, and Anita Parris as fast, agile, interchanging wingers always ready to Sportsfile Lyon's Dutch flyer Shanice van de Sanden try their 1 v 1 skills and determined to find routes into the areas behind the back line. However the scarcity of the structure among the top teams hinted at a trend towards wide midfielders rather than genuine wingers. For my personal taste, Carolina Morace commented, I would have liked to see greater attacking movement in the formations. We expect to see teams attack with the full-backs, but sometimes the synchronisation of movements was not that great. And if you play with three centre-backs you obviously put a great burden on the wing-backs. The challenge at development levels is to develop the full-backs job descriptions in terms of their contribution to attacking play without compromising defensive qualities. Again, Lyon provide a prime example in Lucy Bronze, who displayed outstanding athleticism at right-back, supported attacks, won the 1 v 1 contests and delivered good passes. She set up the crucial winning goal at home to Barcelona and scored the only goal of the semi-final against her former club, cutting inside to connect with a brilliant volley into the far corner of the Manchester City net. The guardians of the net 15

16 Whereas EURO 2017 had sown doubts about progress in goalkeeping skills, the UEFA Women s Champions League served to allay them. When the UEFA team pooled their observations in Kyiv, there was general agreement that the standard among the top teams in the club competition was higher to the extent that Getty Images Wolfsburg's impressive goalkeeper Almuth Schult there was ample debate before naming Barcelona s Sandra Paños and Wolfsburg s Almuth Schult in the Squad of the Season. There has been good work by goalkeeper coaches, Anja Palusevic remarked. I saw Wolfsburg many times during the season and I think Schult is a great example. Over the years I ve seen an incredible development because of good work on the physical and technical aspects of the job. She now has presence and composure and she has made a big impact on the success of the team. In Kyiv, there was comment on the (very) gradual emergence of female GK coaches, with Monika Staab mentioning a lot of keepers will actually tell you they prefer male GK coaches because they can test them better with the power of their shooting. But I will endorse what Anja says about the work being done you can see that warm-ups, for example, are of very professional standards. I think that, these days, it s crucial to develop goalkeepers who, apart from shot-stopping, can pass accurately with hands and with both feet. We should also help them to refine their decisionmaking about when to build from the back and when to go for the quick transition, Carolina Morace added. The other side of the coin 16

17 Does praise for goalkeepers imply doubts about the quality of finishing? Once again, as the competition climbed towards the summit in Kyiv, the number of goals dwindled. Although Lyon were the competition s most prolific scorers, their goalscoring pattern was, once again, disconcerting: 30 goals Getty Images A clinical touch eluded even Lyon at times in the first four games; four in the next four before travelling to Kyiv. Then 97 minutes without scoring, followed by four in nine minutes against ten. In the previous season under Gérard Prêcheur, they failed to score in three of their last four games and did likewise at the final in Cardiff. After three hours of football in this season s semi-final between Manchester City and Lyon had yielded a single goal, the observers commented if anything, Lyon should have been more clinical in the final third. They enjoyed so much possession in useful areas and created so many good situations In overall ball possession, Lyon certainly enjoyed 54% and 59% in the two games against Manchester City but only 51% against Barcelona. In the final against Wolfsburg, they had 53%. During the semi-final against Manchester City, Lyon mounted 234 attacks, of which 44 ended in goal attempts. Only six of City s 133 attacks produced a shot at goal. Chelsea managed 12 from 183 in the two games against Wolfsburg, who registered 35 from 204. Comments about Montpellier being let down by wayward finishing were borne out by a balance of 39 on-target attempts only one-third of the French club s total of 118. Yet the overall scoring rate, superficially at least, registered healthy levels. The 10 qualifying groups yielded 237 goals at 3.95 per match (the drop from 4.74 in the previous season could be interpreted as a positive trend in terms of competitivity), while the knockout rounds offered spectators 212 goals at an average of 3.48 per match. This compares with 3.21 in the previous season. If the group games are included, the overall balance for 2017/18 was 449 goals at 3.71 per game. The table shows the average number of attempts required by the competition s top eight teams to manufacture a goal. 17

18 In individual terms, the record tally of 15 goals by Lyon s Ada Hegerberg offers a contrast with 2016/17 when nobody scored more than eight. Of the Norway striker s 53 attempts, 28 were on target. Her nearest pursuer, Wolfsburg s Pernille Harder, posted six assists to add to her eight goals, while Lyon s Camille Abily was also the provider of five goals in addition to the six she scored. In the Wolfsburg ranks, Alexandra Popp supplied six assists as well as four goals; Caroline Graham Hansen five assists and two goals. Shanice van de Sanden ended the season with a remarkable balance of zero goals + six assists during the 190 minutes the Dutch winger contributed to Lyon s title-winning campaign. FC Barcelona UEFA.com UEFA.com Chelsea LFC 18

19 UEFA.com Linköpings FC UEFA.com Olympique Lyonnais 19

20 UEFA.com Manchester City FC UEFA.com Montpellier HSC 20

21 UEFA.com SK Slavia Praha UEFA.com VfL Wolfsburg 21

22 UEFA.com Of the 212 goals scored in the knockout rounds, 89 hit the net during the first half; 118 during the second half; and, of course, five during extratime in Kyiv. Once again, the fact that the final 15 minutes were not the most fruitful supports theories that fitness levels continue to improve. And one striking difference is that only one goal was scored in added-time after the 90 minutes, compared with 11 in 2016/17. The 39 goals scored from the quarter-finals onwards represent a small cross-section. But, whereas one-third of the goals scored during the same segment of the 2016/17 season had stemmed from set plays, the figure for 2017/18 UEFA.com was significantly lower at 18%. No goals were scored directly or indirectly from free kicks, raising questions about the development of this specialised skill. The nearest approximation was the own goal which went into Wolfsburg s credit column when a free kick was turned into the net by a Chelsea player. Three of the dead-ball successes were penalties (two for Manchester City; one for Chelsea) with the other four stemming from corner kicks. This represents a dividend of one goal per 35.5 corners halving the ratio of 1:76 registered at EURO All four of the corners were converted by headers.decimal points account for the extra 1% Among the open-play goals, 58% had their origin in the wide areas, with half of those successes down to cut-backs. Two were from diagonal balls into the box (Slavia Praha s opener at home to Wolfsburg and the latter s second at home to Chelsea) with the remainder coming from crosses. 22

23 There was only one goal from long range (Pernille Harder s shot which put Wolfsburg 4-0 ahead against Slavia). Advanced ball-winning was, once again, influential. Chelsea s opener during the 0-2 win in Montpellier was a high interception and an immediate through pass. A similar scenario gave Emma Hayes team the opener in the home leg Fran Kirby running clear after intercepting a crossfield run by an opponent. And Lyon s winner at home to Barcelona stemmed from an intercepted clearance allowing Shanice van de Sanden to deliver a trademark cut-back which was to be repeated during the final which allowed Lyon to re-assert their supremacy with a hat-trick of UEFA Women s Champions League victories. 23

24 Talking points: the Lerch view Wolfsburg head coach Stephan Lerch Getty Images What were your priorities when you took over from Ralf Kellermann? For me personally it was about continuing the good foundations that Ralf Kellermann had established; to maintain our good conditions. We were able to have good fitness foundations, maintain a high tempo and to keep putting in good performances throughout the season. Then also development in key areas, to slightly mix things up but not too much. As a coach you have ideas and you want to bring them to the table. A lot was going really well and we've continued a fair bit from the previous season but we also knew we will probably play teams that are very compact and will make it even more difficult than in previous years. So we have to find ways around this and that's when your previous ideas come into play. How can we cope under pressure, how can we create goalscoring opportunities and I think that's something we've tried on an individual as well as group basis. The team tactics come afterwards but it's essentially about finding solutions in tight spaces. Do you find the demands of the Bundesliga and the Champions League very different? I think there are differences. In the women's Bundesliga you'll often come up against teams that are defensively well-organised, that often play with five at the back. We have to find ways to play against this. In the Champions League there is definitely more pressure, especially with no group stages, just the knockout system, so there is more pressure as a player and as a team. Often it's the way that further into the competition you have to be more courageous. The teams you play also want to qualify for the next round and the games become more open. I think in the Bundesliga, the level is very high and certainly on a good day would be enough for a quarter-final team. I think throughout Europe the players are thoroughly prepared to the extent that there is another tempo. In the Bundesliga you have to produce a good performance week in, week out. But when you look at a league where there are only two or three top teams, the level doesn't have 24

25 to be so consistently high. The technical aspect changes. When you have to create more with the ball the players can't achieve that. Did playing extra-time against Bayern München in the German Cup final affect your performance in Kyiv? Firstly, I think Lyon deserved to win on the day and they were the better team. But a few days before we had a very intense game and even some before that. The succession of games was immense. We went into the final with three injured players, Carolina Hansen, Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir and Ewa Pajor. One had to go off at half-time; one in the middle of the second half; Ewa Pajor tore her meniscus we didn't achieve our best especially concerning our freshness. Were there any other things you needed to prepare for the Champions League final? Getty Images The priorities for us were to try and have fun. To be able to play in a final is something special. We tried to enjoy the game, to be optimistic and confident. Tactically you can't really impose yourself on the other team. You have discussions before and try to dig deeper into a few points. But you try to have a fresh team on the pitch that is optimistic and has a lot of self-belief. Is your preferred formation? This question is something you ask yourself as a coach. Firstly, we wanted to be flexible in attack and we are in the position of being able to play in many different formations and take opponents out of their comfort zone. That is the philosophy. We had a clear concept for the defence; we had a clear idea against their attack. We have many players who are creative and to put them in too rigid a formation would affect their play. We wanted to be flexible; four at the back, three at the back to set new challenges. In the final were you maybe too respectful? You know you aren't playing against any old team. You are playing the best team in Europe. Then you have to say OK, who is playing in what position at which points of the game. We could have rotated more up top, certainly, but we didn't have the amount of possession we usually have. With hindsight we can say we would have liked to have had more phases of ball possession. We were a bit more defensively set-up. Of course we had a plan. We wanted to be flexible and not static at the back. But it was a final, we were against a strong team and perhaps this element of flexibility was lacking. What's your playing philosophy? The first thought is always the most direct way to goal, which is through the middle. And also to defend properly. So many teams have a strong defensive philosophy. For us it's important to say OK, if we can't go through the middle, fine, but we always need to look for alternative ways 25

26 through, maybe using the wings. When teams work it forward from the back, to really utilise the wings. That's how we scored many goals in the Bundesliga and this is something we are always looking for: 1 v 1s or to get forward on the wings. In the Champions League were there teams apart from Lyon that impressed you? We've played Chelsea frequently in the past few years and you can recognise how they have developed and got more quality in terms of individual players. They have progressed, technically and tactically, and they have become more dynamic with a really good front line and great players who can decide a game. If Chelsea keep going the way they are going they will consistently get to the final. We played Slavia and this Czech team physically speaking is strong. The defence is good. They have players with international and Champions League experience and made it difficult for us in the away leg. How did you scout your opponents in the Champions League? Either watch directly or work with an external scout who will produce a report. In terms of sharing information with the team, I say no more than who is playing where, who you will be up against and some specifics in terms of attack and defence. Would you agree there has been a trend away from three at the back? Defensively I can't see a trend. Among top teams you always see the problems that they have to find solutions against deep-lying teams. So either your full-backs play very high up the pitch or you play three at the back. I see many preferences for three at the back but it depends on the players at your disposal. Why do you think we have seen so few goals in the Champions League finals? On the one hand, the best teams play each other with a huge amount of quality on either side so it can come down to little things and mistakes. That's why there are so few goals. What can teams in the second or third tier in Europe do to emulate the top teams? I think the smaller clubs do a lot and try a lot to offer a lot football-wise. It's nice to see in England many top teams invest heavily in training opportunities to improve everything. You have to have meaningful investments and Getty Images achievable goals. It is often about the recognition and acceptance of women's football. What I can say from my experience as a youth trainer is that you should try and work in cooperation with youth or men's teams so that the players can be more challenged in physical aspects. The knowledge exchange can also create a springboard. Those are small things that really can make a difference. 26

27 How important is it to have a mix of home-grown talent and international stars? That is definitely very important and I think in the next few years the significance of this will increase. It is important for us to make attractive offers to top players and to develop the youth teams as well. I think the importance of developing talents from the youth set-up will increase. 27

28 The UEFA technical team Squad of the Season Goalkeepers 1 Almuth Schult Wolfsburg 13 Sandra Paños Barcelona Defenders 3 Wendie Renard 6 Steph Houghton 7 Amel Majri 22 Lucy Bronze Lyon Man. City Lyon Lyon 29 Griedge M'Bock Bathy Lyon Midfielders 28

29 5 Saki Kumagai 10 Dzsenifer Marozsán 10 Ji So-Yun 12 Georgia Stanway Lyon Lyon Chelsea Man. City 26 Amandine Henry Lyon Forwards 9 Eugénie Le Sommer 14 Francesca Kirby 14 Ada Hegerberg 17 Ewa Pajor Lyon Chelsea Lyon Wolfsburg 22 Lieke Martens Barcelona 22 Pernille Harder Wolfsburg 29

30 UEFA technical observers' squad of the season UEFA.com The technical observer team during the UEFA Women's Champions League Final Inevitably, bearing in mind a hat-trick of titles, Olympique Lyonnais accounted for the biggest slice of the cake in the selection of the squad of the season and five of their players also completed a hat-trick Griedge Mbock Bathy, Wendie Renard, Saki Kumagai, Eugénie Le Sommer and Dzsenifer Marozsán having been included in the select squad in both 2016 and All in all, seven of the 2017/18 squad had also been selected at the end of the previous season. As a pointer towards the trend at the top end of the women s game, a salient feature is that eight of the squad were playing their football outside their native countries. In Kyiv, the jury faced the task of paring down a short list of 44 candidates, among them, it has to be mentioned as a positive factor in the aftermath of EURO 2017, five goalkeepers. The list also featured 14 defenders, 15 midfielders and 10 attacking players who operated in a variety of roles, ranging from target strikers to wing players. This was the jury s verdict: 30

31 Club analysis Barcelona 31

32 No. Player Born Pos. LYO LYO GS 1 Laura Rafols 23/06/1990 Goalkeeper 3 Ruth García 26/03/1987 Defender 4 Marta Unzue 04/07/1988 Defender 5 Melanie Serrano 12/10/1989 Defender 90 77* 6 Vicky Losada 05/03/1991 Midfield 83* 72* 7 Gemma Gili 21/05/1994 Midfield 8 Marta Torrejón 27/02/1990 Defender Mariona Caldentey 19/03/1996 Midfield Olga García 01/06/1992 Forward 11 Alexia Putellas 04/02/1994 Midfield Patricia Guijarro 17/05/1998 Midfield Sandra Paños 04/11/1992 Goalkeeper María León 13/06/1995 Defender Toni Duggan 25/07/1991 Forward 76* Andressa Alves 10/11/1992 Forward 66* 18 Fabiana 04/08/1989 Defender Bárbara Latorre 14/03/1993 Defender Élise Bussaglia 24/09/1985 Midfield Natasha Andonova 04/12/1993 Midfield * 22 Lieke Martens 16/12/1992 Midfield Aitana Bonmati 18/01/1998 Midfield Perle Morroni 15/10/1997 Defender 13+ Pos. = Position; GS = Goals scored; * = Started; + = Substitute 32

33 Barcelona team analysis tr_attack tr_defence Compact with one attacker operating in wake of main striker Fast combination play through the thirds; confident in possession Good off-the-ball movement in middle-tofront areas Martens the main attacking platform linking with striker Duggan Good, well-timed supporting runs from midfield Quick transitions to defensive block; mostly intense pressing in midfield Confident goalkeeping by 13 Paños; good short or long distribution Good cooperation between keeper and defenders in building from back Clever, well-organised set plays; mix of zonal, individual defending Clear playing philosophy, game plans implemented with confidence Fran Sánchez (27/10/1977) head coach since

34 Chelsea 34

35 No. Player Born Pos. MON MON WOL WOL GS 1 Hedvig Lindahl 29/04/1983 Goalkeeper Maria Thorisdottir 05/06/1993 Defender Hannah Blundell 25/05/1994 Defender Millie Bright 21/08/1993 Defender Gilly Flaherty 24/08/1991 Defender 9+ 75* 8+ 7 Gemma Davison 17/04/1987 Forward Eniola Aluko 21/02/1987 Forward * 10 Ji So-Yun 21/02/1991 Midfield 90 81* 90 76* 2 11 Claire Rafferty 11/01/1989 Defender Francesca Kirby 29/06/1993 Forward 87* 81* 90 82* 2 16 Magdalena Ericsson 08/09/1993 Defender Katie Chapman 15/06/1982 Midfield Maren Mjelde 06/11/1989 Midfield Deanna Cooper 20/06/1993 Defender 22 Erin Cuthbert 19/07/1998 Midfield * Ramona Bachmann 25/12/1990 Forward 81* Drew Spence 23/10/1992 Midfield 72* 72* 68* Jade Bailey 11/11/1995 Midfield 28 Carly Telford 07/07/1987 Goalkeeper Pos. = Position; GS = Goals scored; * = Started; + = Substitute 35

36 Chelsea team analysis tr_attack tr_defence or with two screening midfielders Emphasis on building from back; but long options when pressed Fast counterattacking based on direct supply to fast, powerful striker Kirby Bright the defensive leader, main distributor of forward passes from the back Ji So Yun the playmaker; close control with both feet, excellent vision Pressure on ball-carrier while team-mates retreat into defensive block Good use of wing play, notably by Bachmann s fast runs on left Disciplined defending with good positional play to cut off passing lines Competent goalkeeping by Lindahl; good handling, accurate distribution Able to play high-tempo combinations; effective unit with strong team ethic Emma Hayes (18/10/1976) head coach since

37 Linköping 37

38 No. Player Born Pos. CIT CIT GS 2 Matilda Haglund 05/12/1996 Goalkeeper 3 Janni Arnth 15/10/1986 Defender Maja Kildemoes 15/08/1996 Defender Liza Lantz 26/08/1987 Defender 37 9 Lina Hurtig 05/09/1995 Forward 90 86* 10 Emma Lennartsson 23/04/1991 Midfield Tove Almqvist 05/01/1996 Midfield 71* Frida Maanum 16/07/1999 Midfield Nicoline Sørensen 15/05/1997 Forward Kosovare Asllani 29/07/1989 Midfield 90 45* 20 Anna Oskarsson 23/06/1996 Defender Alva Selerud 03/03/2000 Forward Hilda Carlén 13/08/1991 Goalkeeper Marija Banušić 17/09/1995 Forward 46* 76* 2 24 Linn Bogren 11/08/2000 Defender 26 Elin Landström 02/06/1992 Defender Natasha Dowie 30/06/1988 Forward 85* Filippa Angeldal 14/07/1997 Midfield Pos. = Position; GS = Goals scored; * = Started; + = Substitute 38

39 Linköping team analysis tr_attack tr_defence or with two controlling midfielders Varied attacking; patient build from back or direct supply to front Good combination moves through midfield when not pressed Compact defending with midfielders dropping deep Balanced attacking with adequate number of players behind ball All players back to defend set plays; no counterattacking options Asllani the linking midfielder; skilful, fast, hardworking Angeldahl good vision, off-ball movement, stamina Pressing on ball-carrier from midfield; emphasis on retreat into block Disciplined hardworking team with spirit and commitment Marcus Walfridson (31/05/1981) head coach from

40 Lyon 40

41 No. Player Born Pos. BAR BAR CIT CIT WOL GS 1 Pauline Peyraud-Magnin 17/03/1992 Goalkeeper 3 Wendie Renard 20/07/1990 Defender Selma Bacha 09/11/2000 Defender 84* 90 65* 5 Saki Kumagai 17/10/1990 Midfield 78* * 7 Amel Majri 25/01/1993 Midfield * Jessica Houara-D Hommeaux 29/09/1987 Defender 9 Eugénie Le Sommer 18/05/1989 Forward * 2 10 Dzsenifer Marozsán 18/04/1992 Midfield * Kheira Hamraoui 13/01/1990 Midfield Ada Hegerberg 10/07/1995 Forward Morgan Brian 26/02/1993 Midfield 16 Sarah Bouhaddi 17/10/1986 Goalkeeper Corine Petit 05/10/1983 Defender 19 Shanice van de Sanden 02/10/1992 Forward * Delphine Cascarino 05/02/1997 Midfield 67* 77* Kadeisha Buchanan 05/11/1995 Defender 22 Lucy Bronze 28/10/1991 Defender Camille Abily 05/12/1984 Midfield * Amandine Henry 28/09/1989 Midfield Griedge M'Bock Bathy 26/02/1995 Defender Pos. = Position; GS = Goals scored; * = Started; + = Substitute 41

42 Lyon team analysis tr_attack tr_defence Variations on with switch to midfield diamond v Man City High-quality possession game based on fluent combinations High defence with Renard, M Bock good in air, strong in 1 v 1 High pressing forcing opponents to play long; good second-ball play Very quick, direct counterattacking after high ball regains Full-backs pushing high to support wingers; good crossing from both flanks Kumagai the controlling midfielder; excellent defending and distribution Marozsan linking the team units in areas behind the front-runners Well-organised, well-executed set plays; aerial dominance in both boxes Strength in depth; excellent technique; variety of attacking options Reynald Pedros (10/10/1971) head coach since

43 Man. City 43

44 No. Player Born Pos. LIN LIN LYO LYO GS 1 Karen Bardsley 14/10/1984 Goalkeeper Mie Jans 06/02/1994 Defender Demi Stokes 12/12/1991 Defender 90 73* Tessel Middag 23/12/1992 Midfield 9+ 5 Jennifer Beattie 13/05/1991 Defender Steph Houghton 23/04/1988 Defender Melissa Lawley 28/04/1994 Forward 66* 65* 88* 66* 8 Jill Scott 02/02/1987 Midfield Nadia Nadim 02/01/1988 Forward Isobel Christiansen 20/09/1991 Midfield * 1 12 Georgia Stanway 03/01/1999 Forward 81* 45* Esme Beth Morgan 18/10/2000 Defender 15 Julia Spetsmark 30/06/1989 Midfield 16 Jane Ross 18/09/1989 Forward 75* Nikita Parris 10/03/1994 Forward Ella Ann Toone 02/09/1999 Forward 22 Claire Emslie 08/03/1994 Forward Abbie McManus 14/01/1993 Defender Keira Walsh 08/04/1997 Midfield Ellie Roebuck 23/09/1999 Goalkeeper Pos. = Position; GS = Goals scored; * = Started; + = Substitute 44

45 Manchester City team analysis tr_attack tr_defence with collective high pressing and fast transitions Emphasis on securing the ball at back before launching attacks Centre-backs spread, screening midfielder back to initiate build-up Good supply of diagonal passes from defence to open play to wings Effective mix of short and long passing; long-range shooting Compact back four holding high line; good aerial power, 1 v 1 skills Dynamic midfield trio active in defensive work, supporting attacks Interchanging wide players with dribbling skills, sharp crosses, through passes Overlapping full-backs always involved in attacking actions Team with good athletic qualities, attitude, commitment and spirit Nick Cushing (09/11/1984) head coach since November

46 Montpellier 46

47 No. Player Born Pos. CHE CHE GS 4 Marion Torrent 17/04/1992 Defender Laura Agard 26/07/1989 Defender 3+ 6 Anouk Dekker 15/11/1986 Midfield 90 87* 7 Sakina Karchaoui 26/01/1996 Defender Sandie Toletti 13/07/1995 Midfield 90 79* 9 Laëtitia Tonazzi 31/01/1981 Forward 64* 10 Sofia Jakobsson 23/04/1990 Forward Katrine Veje 19/06/1991 Midfield 80* Casey Murphy 25/04/1996 Goalkeeper Virginia Torrecilla 04/09/1994 Midfield Stina Blackstenius 05/02/1996 Forward * 17 Janice Cayman 12/10/1988 Midfield 89* Marie-Charlotte Léger 13/03/1996 Forward Valérie Gauvin 01/06/1996 Forward Linda Sembrant 15/05/1987 Defender Manon Uffren 02/06/1997 Midfield 29 Clarisse Le Bihan 14/12/1994 Forward Méline Gérard 30/05/1990 Goalkeeper 32 Solene Champagnac 31/05/1999 Midfield Pos. = Position; GS = Goals scored; * = Started; + = Substitute 47

48 Montpellier team analysis tr_attack tr_defence with switches to back line of three when chasing result Ready to play through thirds or, if pressed, hit passes to strikers Quick transitions in both directions; aggressive pressing in midfield Good at narrowing the pitch to force opponents to one side Wide attacking also based on creating overloads on one flank Two rotating strikers; one dropping deep or wide to receive Jakobsson tirelessly working across the front line; pace and 1 v 1 skill One central midfielder pushing into spaces created by Jakobsson Fluent combination play in final third but lack of finishing power Well-organised tactically mature unit with strong team ethic Jean Louis Saez (14/04/1967) head coach from

49 Slavia Praha 49

50 No. Player Born Pos. WOL WOL GS 1 Tereza Malikova 29/05/1994 Goalkeeper 3 Nikola Sedláčková 06/09/1990 Defender 5 Veronika Pincová 15/11/1989 Defender Simona Necidová 20/01/1994 Forward Eva Bartoňová 17/10/1993 Defender Blanka Pěničková 11/04/1980 Midfield Denisa Veselá 08/01/1998 Forward 13 Jitka Chlastáková 13/10/1993 Midfield 80* Sandra Jessen 18/01/1995 Forward 90 88* 16 Tereza Szewieczková 04/05/1998 Midfield 90 69* 17 Aneta Dědinová 09/03/1994 Defender Petra Divišová 05/06/1984 Forward 90 55* 1 20 Diana Bartovičová 20/05/1993 Defender Kateřina Svitková 20/03/1996 Midfield Andrea Jarchovska 10/11/1993 Forward 25 Tereza Krejčiříková 21/06/1996 Midfield 67* Tereza Kožárová 18/10/1991 Forward 83* Barbora Votíková 13/09/1996 Goalkeeper Pos. = Position; GS = Goals scored; * = Started; + = Substitute 50

51 Slavia Praha team analysis tr_attack tr_defence or ; quick transitions to or defence Set out to build via centre-backs; long option when under pressure Dangerous counterattacks; direct supply to powerful striker Kozarova Occasional high pressing; mostly retreat into deep defensive block Neat combinations in midfield, threatening runs on both flanks Good ball-winning midfield; interceptions + forcing errors by opponents Centre-back Pinocova the leader in defence; calm, brave, good 1 v 1 skills Divisova creative, fast, good finishing abilities from right-side midfield Orderly defence at set plays with mix of zonal, individual marking Well-organised unit with strong work ethic, commitment and spirit Pavel Medynský (28/10/1964) head coach since

52 Wolfsburg 52