Arsenal have ‘full belief’ to beat Barcelona in UWCL final – Russo
Arsenal striker Alessia Russo and captain Kim Little have said that the team have “full belief” that they can defeat holders Barcelona in the Champions League final on Saturday to earn their first European title in 18 years.
Arsenal won the competition in the 2006-07 season but have failed to reach the final until this season, defeating Real Madrid and Lyon in the knockouts to face three-time winners and holders Barcelona.
While Arsenal are underdogs ahead of Saturday’s clash in Lisbon, Portugal, Russo admits that the belief is high around the team that they can pull off a shock win.
“Belief is something that we have spoke about a lot as a team this season and we’ve also found lots of different ways to win this season, whether it’s turning around a result or scoring early and taking our chances then,” she told a news conference on Friday.
“It’s been a season full of highs and lows and also full of lots of learnings. That result and performance in Lyon is something we want to hold with us. We want that to be our standard. We know we are capable of that. It was special.
“We have full belief going into the game tomorrow. We have been working hard. We know we are capable of that. We know it was special, and it was a result that we needed to get. We’ll do our best to go out and play as well as we possibly can as a group.”
Arsenal clawed back to top their group before overturning a 2-0 deficit to beat Real Madrid 4-2 and then overturned a 2-1 loss to Lyon with a triumphant 4-1 victory in the second leg.
The Catalan club’s ride to the final was far smoother, reflective of their current European status.
They defeated Chelsea 4-1 twice in the semifinal to reach their third consecutive final.
When asked if she thinks that Arsenal have been written off compared to the praise that Barcelona have received, Russo said: “I also believe we are a very good football team and the way that we play and the way that we win games is something that as a player you want to be part of. We play some great football.
“Maybe there’s a little bit of that, but not internally. Internally we know how good we’re, we know the style that we want to play and that we commit to play every day in training. So internally, we’re good.”
Russo also said that the team had lunch with some of the members of the 2006-07 quadruple winning team during the week to help prepare them for the final.
Captain Kim Little, who joined Arsenal following the European triumph and spent many seasons playing alongside those who defeated Umea to win England’s only European trophy, admitted it was special to be in the final.
“What we achieved in 2007 and what the club has done throughout that time to progress the game, it’s obviously so special to be here. To lead the club, is a really special occasion,” she said.
Little also admitted that while this season has not been smooth — they were out of the Women’s Super League title race weeks before the final game of the season and failed to reach either the League or FA Cup final — the resilience they have showed has made them a better team.
“It’s been an incredible journey with a lot of ups and downs. Some performances haven’t been as good as we want but there’s also been some incredible performances. We have got so much belief in each other and what we can achieve. We know when we work together, we can connect and have performances in those games. We have put ourselves in the best position to do that.
“You can’t play at the top of your game every second but what makes us such a great team is those moments when you haven’t been [the best] and you get yourselves out of those moments. It’s a really great trait to have and we have shown that on many occasions.”
Disney+ will be the home of the UEFA Women’s Champions League across Europe from next season and the only place fans can watch all live matches in the competition. Visit the Disney+ website to get access.