Barcelona vs Arsenal at Camp Nou: Nineteen Goals, a Final Rematch, and the Hero of Lisbon Is Doubtful

Barcelona Won the Trophy Back and Have Not Stopped Scoring

Stina Blackstenius scored in the 75th minute at Estadio Jose Alvalade on May 24, 2025 for Arsenal to deny Barcelona a fourth straight Women's Champions League final win and claim their first European crown since 2007.

Barcelona's response took six months, and they did it in style. In Oslo last May, the Spanish club dismantled Lyon 4-0 in the 2026 final, with Ewa Pajor scoring twice and Salma Paralluelo adding two more.

Barcelona went on to claim their fourth European title in six seasons. And this year's league phase has been a continuation of that run.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have seven points from three matches: a 93rd-minute Caldentey penalty against HB Køge (1-0), a blown 2-0 lead at Paris FC (2-2), and a Russo hat-trick against Benfica (3-0).

In contrast, Barcelona have scored 19 goals in three European matches this season to Arsenal’s six. What does that mean for today’s clash? Find out in our Barcelona vs Arsenal match prediction.

Pajor vs Russo: The Matchup That Could Settle This Game

Two forwards, two records on the line. No one else in this competition has scored at their rate since October 2024.

Pajor has scored in eight straight Women’s Champions League matches. And a goal at Camp Nou on Thursday would set a new competition record.

She became the all-time leading scorer in Champions League league phase history when she found the net against Roma on Matchday 2, then added another against HB Køge from a Pina pass at 33 minutes.

The Polish forward won the Gerd Muller Trophy at the 2025 Ballon d'Or ceremony and reached 51 goals in her first 55 Barcelona appearances across all competitions.

She scored all three against Benfica on Matchday 3, taking 10 shots in total, the most by any Arsenal player in a single European match. And Coach Renee Slegers was quick to respond, calling the forward "everything" afterwards.

At Camp Nou, against a defence that has conceded two goals in three matches, getting Russo the service to break that record will be Arsenal's central problem.

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Blackstenius Is Doubtful

Arsenal's injury list makes the scale of the challenge worse. Blackstenius, whose 75th-minute goal in Lisbon gave Arsenal the 2025 trophy, is doubtful with an Achilles problem after missing the weekend's WSL win at Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Mariona Caldentey, whose stoppage-time penalty won the HB Køge opener, is unlikely to travel with a hamstring injury. Moreover:

• Chloe Kelly (hamstring) and Taylor Hinds (knock) are also doubtful.
• Katie Reid (ankle) and Michelle Agyemang (ACL) are already long-term absentees.

Though, on the positive side, Daphne van Domselaar has returned to the bench and Ona Batlle is expected to be available, giving the visitors a much needed boost.

Barcelona Have Won Seven of Their Last Eight at Home in Europe

But Arsenal still have a long road ahead on their trip to a Barcelona side that have won seven and drawn one of their last eight home European matches, scoring 35 goals.

Arsenal's last trip here for a European match was the 2021-22 group stage, when Barcelona won 4-1 on Matchday 1 before completing an 8-1 aggregate across two meetings that season.

The overall head-to-head reads 3-2 in Arsenal's favour across five European encounters, but that lead was built in the 2012-13 round of 32 and sealed in the 2025 final.

Both sides are in a strong position with three league phase matches to play. But the difference in form and firepower between these two clubs, 17 months after Lisbon, is hard to ignore, especially for bettors.

See: Barcelona vs Arsenal prediction