Column: Champions League final showed the best of Europe
Barcelona and Wolfsburg went toe to toe in Eindhoven in Saturday, with the Spanish giants on the right end of a five-goal thriller and a dramatic comeback
This was - impressively - the sixth Champions League final in a row where four or more goals were scored.
Finals are so often known as tight affairs, but there has been goals aplenty in European finals over the past five years, and Saturday's showdown in Eindhoven was no different.
But this one was different. Where four of the last five haven't felt that close despite being between the best clubs, teams and players, they haven't felt like it based on the end result, but this one did, and it looked at one point like swinging the way of the team very few gave a chance to, such is the dominance of Barcelona back in Spain ahead of what was a fourth European final in five years for the Catalan giants.
It was nearly a third defeat too, which would have been almost unthinkable for the squad they have and the football they play, and credit to Wolfsburg who more than played their part in an absorbing final, the first of such in a couple of years.
The quirk of their defeat means they will have to qualify next season having not won the Bundesliga, finishing behind rivals Bayern Munich.
This was the best of the best, going toe to toe. Wolfsburg raced into a 2-0 lead, harrying and hassling an otherwise usually assured Barcelona who looked anything but, despite creating opening after opening in front of goal.
Relevant Read: How Barcelona went from great to unstoppable
The only fault for the Spaniards, bar the lapse from Lucy Bronze which led to the opener, was some profligacy in front of goal. Youngster Salma Paralluelo got the nod with Asisat Oshoala injured and while the teenager is a talent and showed signs of sparks in attack, they lacked a cutting edge and often looked to rush things. That, or they weren't getting on the end of several crosses sent in by Fridolina Rolfö, who eventually scored the winner.
Wolfsburg though were dogged, constantly in the right place in defence to clear away the danger, and Merle Frohms remained relatively untroubled during the first half.
Down the other end, their talismanic forwards did the business. Ewa Pajor, one of the best in Europe right now, scored a stunner after robbing Bronze in possession, before turning provider for what was a trademark Alex Popp header.
I remarked at half-time what an interesting game it would turn into if Barcelona got an early goal in the second half - they got two. Patri Guijarro, vastly underrated when it comes to best in the world debates right now, popped up not once but twice within two second half minutes to completely wipe out Wolfsburg's advantage.
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Where previous finals saw the likes of Lyon and Barcelona themselves race into unassailable leads, never to be caught, this never had that feel, even if the dramatic nature of the early minutes in the second half were hard to imagine. Barcelona were smart, rather than get caught up in their own chaos, they slowed the game down, retained possession and allowed Wolfsburg time to ponder what had just happened.
Then they hit the kill switch. Dazed by their capitulation, Wolfsburg made one error and it was pounced upon by Rolfö, who hammered home the winner and the final act of a fantastic match which captured the best of women's football in Europe, whether that was Wolfsburg's own front duo of Popp and Pajor, the brilliant Lena Oberdorf in midfield, or Barcelona's imaginative brand of possession-based attacking football, anchored brilliantly by Guijarro and the superb again Keira Walsh, who picked up a first Champions League trophy.
Bonmatà too was her usual majestic self, if on occasion a bit generous in front of goal, and was deservedly named UEFA's Player of the Season in the Champions League, with Oberdorf taking the Young Player of the Year. That 10 of the 11 in the team of the season came from these two clubs emphasised how impressive both have been on the biggest continental stage this year, and in the end Barcelona deserved to shade it, even if they'd have probably preferred a less stressful afternoon in the Eindhoven sun.
A thoroughly enjoyable game and a write up to suit! It will be intersting to see what both teams do going forward. Is Putellas the missing piece for Barca or do they need to find a top class striker.