Arsenal must show ´courage´ to win the Champions League, says Slegers

Renee Slegers urged her Arsenal players to show “courage” in their Champions League final against Barcelona as they aim to dethrone the title holders on Saturday.

Arsenal take on the Blaugrana at the Estadio Jose Alvalade hoping to lift the crown for the second time in their history, having previously done so back in 2006-07.

But they face a stern test against Barca, who are appearing in their sixth Champions League final, and fifth in a row, with only Lyon (11) having taken part in more.

This will be the fifth meeting between the two sides in the competition, with the Gunners winning both legs of their round of 32 tie in 2012-13, winning 7-0 on aggregate.

Barca won both group stage matches in the 2021-22 campaign, though Arsenal have a good record against Spanish opposition in the competition, progressing from all four of their knockout stage ties against such teams.

But Pere Romeu’s side are a now different proposition, with Barca leading the key attacking areas in the competition this season, averaging the most goals (4.4), shots (23.1), shots on target (9.9) and expected goals (xG) per game (2.9), as well as having the best conversion rate (19.1%).

Opta’s supercomputer predicts a fourth Champions League title in five years for Barca, handing them a 56.5% win probability to Arsenal’s 21.7%.

And while the odds may be stacked against her team, Slegers believes her players have what it takes to get the job done against their star-studded opponents.

“We want to show courage tomorrow. We respect Barca as a team. They are a really good football team, so we are humble, but we are here to win,” Slegers told reporters.

“We have to find ways to win, and I am confident that the momentum of the game will shift. It’s important that we deal with every moment really well.

“We need courage and discipline, and we need to be switched on. If we do all those things well, we can perform well. We believe in our ability tomorrow.”

1 – Arsenal’s Renée Slegers is aiming to become the first Dutch manager to win the @UWCL and third overall the win either the men’s (since 1992-93) or women’s competition after Louis Van Gaal (1995 with Ajax) and Frank Rijkaard (2006 with Barcelona). Links-Rechts. #UWCLfinal pic.twitter.com/3QhQPdJ5

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 23, 2025

Slegers is aiming to become the first Dutch manager to win the Women’s Champions League, and third overall across the men’s or women’s competition, after Louis van Gaal (1995 with Ajax) and Frank Rijkaard (2006 with Barcelona).

The Gunners have shown their resilience in reaching the showpiece match, battling from the brink in the latter rounds of the competition.

Indeed, Arsenal became the first team ever to reach the final of the competition despite losing the first leg of both their quarter-final (vs Real Madrid) and semi-final (vs Lyon) ties.

And Alessia Russo echoed Slegers’ sentiments, saying: “We want to show courage. We respect Barca as a team. They are a really good football team, but we are here to win.

“We have to find ways to win, and I am confident that, if we handle all situations well and stay focused, we can perform well.

Much has been made about the lack of experience within Arsenal’s squad ahead of the final.

Indeed, only Mariona Caldentey has ever featured in a final of the Champions League, playing in five for Barca between 2019 and 2024.

The Barcelona squad, meanwhile, have made 48 collective appearances in finals.

1 – Mariona Caldentey is the only current Arsenal player to have ever featured in a final of the @UWCL, playing in five for Barcelona between 2019 and 2024. The Barcelona squad meanwhile have made 48 collective appearances in finals. Underdogs. #UWCLfinal pic.twitter.com/XqNPDRu7EY

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 23, 2025