LISBON, Portugal (AP) —Alexia Putellashas been with Barcelona from its inauspicious Women's Champions League debut over a decade ago right up through its spectacular rise to be the world's top club. Putellas and Barcelona have a chance to prove it again on Saturday in Lisbon where theyplay Arsenalin a fifth straight final, aiming for a fourth European Cup. Arsenal whipped an inexperienced Barcelona side, which included a young Putellas, in its competition debut by the combined score of 7-0 over two games back in 2012. After joking to reporters that she didn't want to recall the lopsided scoreline in those back-to-back losses to Arsenal, Putellas reflected on the growth of her club since then. She recalled the tiny crowds her team used to draw compared to the Estadio de Jose Alvalade which will be a 50,000-seat sell-out on Saturday. "From those first games in this competition, it was impossible to imagine everything that would come later," Putellas said on Friday. "I am privileged to have been along for this journey. And it continues with the final. "It is anecdote that this all started with the first game against Arsenal and we will now play them tomorrow." The final will be Barcelona's 100th game in the Women's Champions League. First star of Spain women's soccer Putellas, 31, has done more than any player to put Barcelona at the pinnacle of women's soccer. She was its best player when it won its first Champions League in 2021 and helped put women's soccer in Spain on the global map when she won back-to-back Ballon d'Or awards. Her emergence as a star coincided with the pronounced slump of Barcelona's men following the departure of Lionel Messi. It is also hard to imagine that Spain would have won the 2023 World Cup without the boost Putellas gave the sport. And when Spain was embroiled in crisis after its then soccer federation president Luis Rubiales kissed a player without consent during the World Cup awards ceremony, it was Putellas wholed the player revoltthat prompted his downfall. Back to her best Putellas won thewon the Ballon d'Orin 2021 and 2022 because of her goal-scoring and leadership from Barcelona's midfield. Thenserious leg injuriesput her star status in doubt for Barcelona and Spain. She was sidelined for months and, when she returned to the field, she was reported to be considering a move from Barcelona due to her limited playing time. But last May she signed a two-year contract extension. Those injuries and stiff competition from a packed Barcelona midfield that also features reigning Ballon d'Or holderAitana BonmatÃmeant that Putellas played only the final minutes of the last two Champions League finals as a late substitute. But she is back at her best this season and has recovered her starting spot. So she is set to start against Arsenal. "When you keep getting injured, you lose your playing rhythm," Putellas said. "This year I stayed healthy and I put in the work to feel good all season and play at my best." As for her motivation to keep winning? "You always want to focus on the next objective, forgetting what you have achieved," she said. "Our next objective is tomorrow's final and we will give it our all to achieve it." ___ AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
