"We want to change the narrative" - Barcelona Femeni striker Asisat Oshoala looking ahead to 'beautiful game' against Lyon in UWCL final 

Barcelona Femeni striker Asisat Oshoala has been one of the most in-form players in Europe this season and has enjoyed a stunning season with the Catalans. Having helped her club win each of their 30 league games this season, the Nigerian striker is looking ahead to the UEFA Women's Champions League final against Lyon.

Ahead of the clash against the French giants, Oshoala admitted that she was really happy to have won the Pichichi, having scored 20 league goals (joined highest with Madrid CFF forward Geyse Ferreira) for Barcelona in the 2021-22 league season.

"I'm really happy and excited because I had lesser number of games this year but was still able to come out as the top scorer. Being the first to win it from Africa makes it even more interesting. So I'm really happy about it.

The 27-year-old also spoke about the mentality of the team as they look to finish the season strongly by getting their hands on the Champions League once again.

"I just think it's the mentality of the team, we keep going every day. Even if we win games, we keep walking into training like we lost the last game. So it's about the mentality and knowing that you have a goal to pursue. We're not a team that just relaxes and says we won the last game or we won the league already."

In the 2019 UWCL final, Oshoala scored for Barcelona, but the Spaniards were beaten comprehensively by Lyon as they succumbed to a 4-1 defeat in Budapest. Barcelona won the competition in 2021 but have an opportunity to exact revenge as they prepare to face Lyon in the final once again.

Oshoala has suggested that the defeat to Lyon turned out to be a sobering experience for Barcelona, adding that it was a bit of an eye-opener for herself and the rest of her teammates.

"I think we lost to Lyon three years ago in the final, it was a good defeat for us to open our eyes and see where we can improve and play more as a team together. It's just that a whole lot of things went wrong in that game. We've really improved on these things in the last three years so I think it's going to be a beautiful game over the weekend."

The former Liverpool and Arsenal striker also affirmed Barcelona's desire to play good football and entertain the fans, adding that the game against Lyon is another opportunity to put past demons to bed.

"Lyon are the team to beat in Europe, they are one of the powerhouses of women’s soccer in Europe. It’s not revenge but it’s a case of wanting to put up a better show. We lost 4-1 the last time against them, so we don’t want the same to happen again.

"We want people to enjoy football, we want people to have fun. Football is about entertainment, of course we want to win, but the most important thing is you want to show the world that you’ve improved and that you’re a better team than the one from three years ago. We want to change the narrative.

"To be honest with you, Lyon used to be the favorites and are trying to regain that power in Europe. We won the Champions League last year, so for me I think it’s going to be a very interesting game."

Oshoala finally claimed that the 2021-22 campaign has been a rollercoaster of emotions as injuries halted her stellar goalscoring run midway through the season. However, she has made a full recovery to return to the team and is looking to finish the season by getting her hands on the UWCL trophy for the second time as a Barcelona player.

"It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for me this season. This is professional soccer, so anything can happen at any time. You’re having your best moments and scoring goals but you get injured in the middle of that run - that's really painful. Mentally, it's draining as well, it's not something anyone wants to go through.

"You just have to accept the fact that this is a professional game and these things happen. It’s been ups and downs this season but at the end of the day I just want to be happy by the time the season finishes."

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