The UEFA Women’s Champions League on June 3 will pit two of the game’s brightest stars against one another in Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas and Wolfsburg’s Alexandra Popp.

Both made returns for their respective clubs in the last few days. Popp had missed several matches with an Achilles injury but came back to score for Wolfsburg in her team’s 3-2 win against Arsenal in Monday’s Champions League semifinal.

Putellas made her first appearance since tearing her ACL last July in Barca’s 3-0 win over Sporting Huelva, which clinched their fourth straight Liga F title. Her team already had clinched its spot in the Champions League final.

So what can fans expect from the title matchup?

When did these teams last play one another?

Barcelona and Wolfsburg last faced each other during the 2021-22 Champions League semifinals. Putellas and Barcelona won 5-3 on aggregate but lost to Olympique Lyonnais in the final.

Wolfsburg have made six Champions League final appearances, with their most recent coming in 2020. Only Lyon have made more appearances in the final, which makes this familiar territory for the German club. But Wolfsburg haven’t won the Champions League since 2014.

Barcelona, meanwhile, won the UWCL just two seasons ago, beating out English club Chelsea for the title in 2021.

Who are the players to watch for each side?

While Popp and Putellas will be in sharper form by the June final, several other players also should feature heavily in this matchup.

Asisat Oshoala has been dominant for Barcelona this season, leading the team with 20 goals through 24 matches – a suitable follow-up to last season, when she led the team with 20 goals through 19 matches.

Midfielder Aitana Bonmati has helped to fill the hole left by Putellas, providing goal-scoring, playmaking and leadership inside the middle third. She’s leading the Champions League in assists, with seven through UWCL competition.

Popp has led Wolfsburg in scoring, with 14 goals through 17 matches despite missing several weeks due to injury. She’s followed by Ewa Pajor, who has 11 goals in 16 matches as well as seven assists. She ties Popp for a team-high 18 points.

Pajor has been the top scorer in Champions League competition, notching eight goals so far.

Alexia Putellas has been named to Barcelona’s roster for the second leg of their Champions League semifinal against Chelsea at home on Thursday. The announcement comes on the same day Putellas was medically cleared to return to play after tearing her ACL last July.

Barcelona took the first leg of the semifinal matchup, 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and will advance to the final with either a win or a draw.

Putellas hasn’t played since last summer, after tearing her ACL while playing for Spain ahead of the 2022 Women’s Euros.

The Spanish star has been training with the team for the last few weeks. A two-time Ballon d’Or and FIFA Best Player award winner, Putellas is a key player in Barcelona’s midfield, but head coach Jonatan Giraldez would not guarantee her return to game action on Thursday.

“We will not take any risks with Alexia,” said Giraldez in his pre-match press conference. “The priority tomorrow is to qualify for the final. As a coach, I will not take any risk if she is not 100 percent.”

Two days after Leah Williamson was ruled out of the 2023 Women’s World Cup with an ACL tear, England dealt with another injury scare on Saturday when Lucy Bronze went down in the 65th minute of Barcelona’s Champions League semifinal versus Chelsea.

Bronze clutched her knee and then hopped off the field, a concerning sight. But she returned to the pitch at the conclusion of the game, which Barcelona won 1-0, to shake hands with Chelsea players.

In his post-match comments, Barcelona manager Jonatan Giraldez said Bronze was “feeling much better.”

“Initially Lucy was a bit worried about her injury, she felt her pain in her knee, but now she’s feeling much better about it,” Giraldez said, per SkySports.

“She felt pain in the knee but I think she’s fine right now. I was talking to her immediately after the game. It was scary at first but right now I think she’s fine.”

Bronze, 31, has a long history of knee injuries and subsequent surgeries, resulting in lingering pain.

“I’ve just got to play through it,” Bronze said last year. “There are plenty of players who are having to play through pain in their career and I’m now one of them.”

England has seen multiple players go down with injury in the last year, dampening the squad’s World Cup prospects. Beth Mead’s World Cup chances are doubtful after the 27-year-old ruptured her ACL in November, while Millie Bright’s status is also up-in-the-air.

England superstar Lucy Bronze is heading to European powerhouse Barcelona, with the club announcing the news Saturday.

The 30-year-old defender signed a two-year deal with Barcelona, joining the team on free transfer from Manchester City.

Bronze made 111 appearances in her two-year tenure with the Women’s Super League club, taking home five trophies.

Representing England at this summer’s European Championship, Bronze will connect with her new team after the tournament.

Bronze joins Barcelona on the heels of a landmark season, with the club completing a domestic treble, winning all 30 of their league matches while making a Champions League final run before falling to Lyon in the title game.

Lieke Martens is heading to Paris Saint-Germain, with the club signing the Dutch forward to a three-year deal from Barcelona.

The 29-year-old announced the move on social media Friday, writing, “I am very excited to announce this news about the next step in my career! So happy and proud to start this new adventure in Paris and to be part of this incredible team and club.”

Friday’s news comes after the star striker wrote a heartfelt goodbye to Barcelona on her Instagram Thursday, revealing her departure from the Spanish club.

“After five beautiful years at this fantastic club in this beautiful city I have decided to part ways with the club and start a new adventure. I came to FC Barcelona in a time that the club started an ambitious project to become a leader in the world of women’s football. We worked hard and I believe that we achieved the goals set 5 years ago,” wrote Martens. “It’s time for another adventure and I want to thank the club, coaches, staff, fans and of course all my teammates that have supported me to become the player I am today. Thank you for all your support and love, all the best and see you all soon again.”

In her five-year tenure with Barcelona, Martens logged 156 appearances, scoring 73 goals to help the club to a Champions League trophy and nine domestic titles.

PSG finished second in the French league this season, 15 points behind rivals Lyon.

Barcelona completed the domestic treble Sunday by capturing its third consecutive Copa de la Reina title, which joins the club’s La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup trophies from this season.

Six different Barcelona players scored in the club’s 6-1 win over Sporting Huelva to secure the club’s ninth Copa de la Reina championship.

Barcelona posted an impressive 30-0 perfect Primera Division record in La Liga and finished its campaign with wins in all 36 domestic matchups,

The club’s latest trophy comes after a heartbreaking loss to Lyon in the Champions League final, in which Barcelona fell to the French side 3-1.

Lyon did what seemingly no team could this season, dominating Barcelona 3-1 to clinch the Champions League trophy Saturday.

The French side put Barcelona under pressure early, as Amandine Henry put Lyon up 1-0 in the game’s sixth minute. The French national team midfielder launched a stunning curler from far outside the box.

Lyon doubled its lead in the 23rd minute as Ada Hegerberg headed a lofted cross past the Barcelona keeper, deflating the Spanish side.

The situation went from bad to worse for Barcelona in the 33rd minute when Catarina Macario finished off a Lyon effort spurred by sloppy defending from Barcelona. The finish from the USWNT star put her team up 3-0.

Barcelona showed a glimmer of hope for a comeback late in the first half, when Alexia Putellas knocked in a cross to keep her side in the game.

But the 3-1 scoreline held through the second half despite Barcelona’s best efforts, and Lyon celebrated as the final whistle blew.

“This is what I’ve dreamed of ever since I was a little girl,” an emotional Lindsey Horan said after the match.

Saturday’s win marks Lyon’s record eighth Champions League title.

Barcelona’s Irene Paredes has enjoyed getting to see the success of the club since its professionalization in 2015.

That success includes winning the Primera Division and the Spanish cup multiple times. The club also claimed its first-ever UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy last year to complete the treble for the first time in its history.

Barcelona has had a record-breaking run in the lead up to this year’s WCL final, selling out games at Camp Nou and setting the world record for women’s soccer attendance not once but twice.

The club also completed a perfect 30-win season in the Primera Division.

“It’s been a really fast development,” said Paredes, referencing the fact that the club was only professionalized seven years ago. “But it’s just the consequence of a lot of work, a lot of people with a lot of enthusiasm and ideas working together. They really wanted a female football club doing great things.”

As for selling out Camp Nou, the defender said she and her teammates were in awe over the turnout.

“It was amazing, we couldn’t understand and believe it,” she said. “When they put the tickets on sale, we didn’t expect to have all of those sales in two days. We were wondering if all of the people would come, and of course they did and they’ve been screaming and helping us to win the game against Real Madrid.

“The second time against Wolfsburg, it was also a surprise because it was another new record. People could say that it’s lucky, that they gave a lot of tickets [away], but no, most of the people paid for tickets. They came to cheer us on and that’s because they want to support us.

“I hope the rest of the world is looking to us to try to do the same.”

This season marks the second time in Paredes’ career that she’s made a Champions League final. She played for Paris Saint-Germain when that club finished as runner-up in 2017.

She knows how difficult it is to make it to this point, and to play against a club like Olympique Lyonnais, which has won seven WCL titles – including a record-breaking run of five from 2016-2020.

“If we win that final, knowing the importance that Lyon has in Europe and the world, of course it would be amazing,” she said. “But it’s not about winning [against] Lyon, it’s just about winning the second time in a row.

“This last year has been a lot of work, a lot of good results. Of course we want to win and it would add strength to keep fighting to become the best team in the world. If not, our season has been amazing and the club wants more and we are working for that.

“We don’t want to be the new Lyon. We just want to be the new champions.”

The Champions League final will kick off at 1 p.m. ET Saturday on DAZN’s YouTube channel.

The UEFA Champions League final is set, with Barcelona taking on Lyon in Saturday’s championship match.

How to Watch:

1 p.m. ET Saturday, May 21, on DAZN’s Women’s Champions League YouTube channel.

Where:

Allianz Stadium, located in Turin, Italy, will host the affair. The venue holds a capacity of 41,507 and could sell out for the Champions League fixture.

What’s at stake for Barcelona:

The Spanish side will look to defend their 2021 Champions League trophy. The club thrashed Chelsea 4-0 last year to claim its first-ever title.

What’s at stake for Lyon:

The French club will be competing in their record 10th Champions League final and will be on the hunt for a historic eighth title. Lyon already holds the most titles all time with seven; the next closest team is Eintracht Frankfurt with four.

Who to watch:

USWNT star Catarina Macario has been on fire for Lyon, notching seven goals and two assists through 10 Champions League matches played. If Lyon wants to take down giant Barcelona, Macario and the rest of Lyon’s attack will have to be firing on all cylinders.

Barcelona has an arsenal of goal scorers up top. Alexia Putellas leads the charge with 10 goals and two assists, while Jennifer Hermoso has contributed five goals and one assist.

Wolfsburg snapped Barcelona’s 45-game winning streak, downing the Spanish club 2-0 in the second leg of the Women’s Champions League semifinal Saturday.

Barcelona will advance to the Champions League final despite the loss, defeating Wolfsburg 5-3 on aggregate after a dominant 5-1 first-leg victory.

Barcelona was held scoreless in the opening 45 minutes, with the club struggling to execute in the final third. Wolfsburg capitalized on the slow start, coming out after the break, poised to take control of the match.

Tabea Waßmuth broke the deadlock in the 47th minute, slotting home a low shot from the top of the box after confusion on a Wolfsburg set piece.

Jill Roord doubled Wolfsburg’s lead in the 59th minute, firing a long-range shot past the Barcelona keeper to put her side up 2-0.

Wolfsburg continued to push to make up their deficit on aggregate, but the 2-0 scoreline held until the final whistle.

The loss was bittersweet for Barcelona, as the match marks the first time the club has conceded more than one goal this season and the first time the team has failed to score since January 2020.

Barcelona’s win on aggregate advances the club to the Champions League final on May 21, where they will look to defend their 2021 European title.