Barcelona and Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati says her side "have the mindset to win" and are "the team to beat" when they face Arsenal in the Women’s Champions League final today in Lisbon.
Barcelona are the holders and have won each of the past two titles, while no English club has won the Champions League since the Gunners lifted the crown in 2007.
Chelsea came the closest when they reached the final in 2022, but they suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Catalan giants in a game in which Bonmati scored.
“We've had a great season, so we're the team to beat," the 27-year-old told TNT Sports. “For us, it's a privilege, not a pressure. We are used to this and always have the mindset to win.
"One of the best qualities of our team is [that] we have the same ambition as the first day. This is not easy because if you are winning a lot, maybe you can relax, but this is not the case with our team.”
Barcelona have won the Champions League in three of the past four seasons, with a 3-1 defeat by Lyon in 2022 being the only blot on their record.
Bomati thinks the fact her side have "lived these kinds of scenarios" in finals before gives them the added strength needed to beat Arsenal.
They thrashed Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals to reach this stage and come into the final off the back of an impressive domestic campaign which saw them finish eight points clear at the top of the Liga F table to win the division for the sixth year in a row.
"I think the experience we have now or I have now is even more than when I played the third final of the Champions League, it was the first time against Lyon – the team to beat," she said.
"Now we are we maybe the team to beat, we have the experience. In these kinds of matches, experience is important because you have lived these kinds of scenarios in other times. This is one thing we have in our team."
Bonmati netted in the final last season as her side beat Lyon 2-0 in Bilbao. She has won the past two Ballons d'Or and has an impressive record of achieving silverware for club and country, but says all Champions League finals are unique moments she will remember forever.
She added: "These emotions are difficult to put into words because we are born to play these matches and enjoy it with our crowd and our people here.
"I remember every single Champions League we play as unique moments I'll remember forever."
