Hegerberg hat-trick hands Lyon fourth straight Champions League triumph

On a day of blazing sunshine in a splendid Budapest, Dzsenifer Marozsán's fifth-minute opener was followed by a first-half hat-trick by current FIFA Women's Player of the Year, Ada Hegerberg, Lyon four up after just half an hour, but Barcelona will look back and rue their inaccuracy in front of goal as chance after chance was left unconverted until substitute Asisat Oshoala - the first African international to play in women's club football's showpiece event in Europe, netted in the penultimate minute of normal time.

There was goalmouth action from the very outset of this first UEFA European club final in Budapest when Marozsán's speculative right-footed volley from the far right side of the penalty area sailed well wide of the left post in the second minute. Moments later, Barcelona's Mariona Caldentey robbed Amel Majri of the ball and slipped the ball through to Toni Duggan free on the right side of the penalty area, but the England international striker pulled her shot disappointingly wide of the far left post.

Shanice van der Sanden immediately responded with a surging run down the right wing and a deft cross which Marozsán exquisitely diverted past Barcelona goalkeeper Sandra Paños to hand the five-time champions an early lead. All the momentum was now with the French domestic champions, Eugénie Le Sommer cutting in from the left in
the eleventh minute and seeking to test Barcelona goalkeeper Paños from 20 metres, but her low drive was easily gathered by the Spanish custodian.

Van der Sanden soon proved to again be the key with which Lyon could unlock the Barcelona defence, another cross - this time a perfectly-weighted one across the pristine surface in the 14th minute - giving Ada Hegerberg a simple opportunity to slide the ball into the left side of the net via the outstretched fingertips of Paños. Five minutes later and Hegerberg doubled her personal tally. It was Majri who provided the supply this time, her simple low pass across the penalty area being dispatched with consummate ease by the predatory Norwegian attacker to put Lyon three goals up.

Straight from kick-off, Aitana Bonmati tried to catch out Lyon goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi with an audacious near-50-metre effort but the France international was equal to the excellent effort. María Léon's free-kick after Lyon defender Griedge M'Bock Bathy had been adjudged to have fouled Toni Duggan momentarily caused panic in the French team's defence but Barcelona fell even further behind when Lucy Bronze's superb outswinging cross from the right byline was clinically volleyed into the centre of the goal by the arriving Hegerberg in the 30th minute. The Player of the Match thus completed a 16-minute hat-trick, the first in the Champions League final in either the women's or men's formats since 1969.

The four-nil scoreline realistically signalled an end to the game as a competitive spectacle - Lyon had not conceded three or more goals in any match since 2009 - but to their credit, Barcelona still managed to create some very presentable opportunites to reduce the deficit, for example, just before half-time, Alexia Putellas' left-wing corner found Belgium international Lieke Martens free at the back post but her unmarked header was headed just over the crossbar just a few metres from goal.

Lyon still kept pushing for goals too though. Eight minutes into the second half, Smooth interplay saw Eugénie Le Sommer, venturing in from the left wing, bend an excellent pass with the outside of her right boot into Marozsán and run for the return before curling the ball just over the bar from a central position 25 metres out. Bathy then hooked a left-wing corner wide of the near right post before Barcelona again spurned a great chance to open their account, Martens controlling a right-wing cross almost in line with the far left post but then firing wide with plenty of the goal to aim at.

Next to threaten were Lyon when Marozsán's deep free-kick was headed back across the box by Wendie Renard on her record 82nd Champions League appearance, but Hegerberg uncharacteristically miskicked with the goal at her mercy. Lyon substitute Delphine Cascarino, on for van der Sanden, then raced towards goal from the right wing but
her powerful skidding shot was too close to Paños.

Barcelona captain Vicky Losada was the next player to regret an errant finish when she put too much weight on her lob after controlling a long pass brilliantly on her chest and thus bypassing two Lyon defenders, her effort looping over onto the top of the net.

Even if the game was over as a contest, Barcelona were certainly still creating openings. One of Barcelona's substitutes, Asisat Oshoala, missed the target with her first sight of goal but she made amends ten minutes later when she latched on to Martens' perfectly-timed through ball and stroked the ball low past Bouhaddi to give Barcelona a consolation goal.