Polish striker Ewa Pajor faces her sixth UEFA Women's Champions League final in Oslo. After falling short four times with Wolfsburg and once with Barcelona last year, she seeks to break the curse against Olympique Lyon. A history that weighs heavily, but does not define her goal-scoring instinct.
The tactical evolution of a goal-scoring profile ⚽
Pajor has refined her positioning in the box. Her back-to-goal play and ability to pin center-backs have improved with Barcelona. Giráldez's team aims to exploit her mobility against a Lyon defense that tends to push their lines high. The key will be in her runs in behind and synchronization with crosses from the flanks, a pattern Wolfsburg failed to polish in their finals.
The eternal bridesmaid syndrome 😅
Five lost finals are already a collection of runner-up medals that even Barça's museum wouldn't want to display. Pajor must think the Champions League is like that friend who never invites you to their birthday party but always asks you for a drink. If Lyon wins again, the Polish star will have material for a Netflix documentary: How to Lose Finals Without Breaking a Sweat.