Ewa Pajor finally gets her winner’s medal as Barcelona claim Women’s Champions League
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Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor falling to her knees in joy after they claimed the Women's Champions League with a 4-0 win over OL Lyonnes on May 23.
PHOTO: REUTERS
OSLO – Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor bounced back from five Women’s Champions League final defeats to win the title on her sixth attempt.
She scored twice to set her side on course for a 4-0 win over OL Lyonnes on May 23 that finally got her a winner’s medal.
The five defeats in the decider – four with German side VfL Wolfsburg and one with Barca last season – had left the Polish striker wondering if she would ever win the competition.
On May 23, she took matters into her own hands by scoring the first two goals as the Spanish side romped to victory.
“It’s the best day in my life. It’s a great day,” the 29-year-old Pajor told reporters.
“I am grateful to be part of this great team. I don’t know what more I want to say because I am very emotional today.
“I want to say thank you to my teammates for their hard work every day, to be here again and to win in the final.
“Of course, losing five finals was difficult but I never give up and I give my best for my team.
“Today we won this prize and I’m very happy and very proud to be a Barca player, to play with this great team and am just grateful for this.”
Pajor squandered a couple of gilt-edged chances in the first half, lobbing just wide and then blasting off target with the goal at her mercy, but she did not dwell on those misses.
When a chance at redemption presented itself 10 minutes into the second half, she grabbed it with both hands.
A pass from OL Lyonnes’ Norway striker Ada Hegerberg was intercepted by Patri Guijarro and, after a quick one-two, Patri took off on a surging run before picking out Pajor.
The goal poacher was calmness personified, taking the ball in her stride and stroking it into the far corner. Her second goal effectively killed the game.
Although Salma Paralluelo also netted a late double, it was Pajor who got the glory and Player of the Game award and she celebrated on the field wrapped in a Polish flag.
“I missed two great chances but we played from the first minute a good game,” Pajor added.
“Of course it was tough because Lyon is also good team but we know what we want to do in this game.” REUTERS