Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí has told ESPN she was surprised Arsenal made the UEFA Women's Champions League final as she looks forward to facing them in Saturday's showpiece in Lisbon.
Arsenal overturned a first leg deficit against Lyon in the semifinal, winning the return match 4-1 in France to record a 5-3 aggregate victory and stun the eight-time winners of the competition.
They will once again be the underdogs this weekend against Barça, who are appearing in their sixth final in seven years and aiming to lift the trophy for the third successive time.
"For me, it was a surprise Arsenal reaching the final," back-to-back Ballon d'Or winner Bonmatí told ESPN.
"They absolutely deserve it, because scoring four goals against Lyon in the second leg is not easy at all.
"I congratulate them for that because I think it was a big surprise, but a well deserved one."
Three of Barça's previous five finals have been against Lyon, winning one and losing two, while in the other two they beat Wolfsburg and Chelsea, who they also beat in the quarterfinals and semifinals this season, respectively.
However, they have not faced Arsenal competitively since 2021, when they beat them 4-0 and 4-1 in the group stage.
"It's a final with a different feel because we've never played Arsenal in a final," Bonmatí added.
"It's been a few years since we even played them. For that reason, it's a new challenge for us, being able to play a different team."
Saturday's final will also be strange for Bonmatí as she comes up against two former teammates in Mariona Caldentey and Laia Codina.
Bonmatí and Caldentey played alongside each other for years for Barça and Spain before the latter decided to leave and join the Gunners last summer when her contract expired.
She has enjoyed a fine debut campaign in the Women's Super League, where she was named the Player of the Season at the inaugural Women's Professional Game Awards after helping Arsenal finish second and reach a first Champions League final since 2007.
"I am looking forward to it, but it will be strange to see Mariona in the other shirt and playing against us," Bonmatí said.
"I have never had that feeling of playing against her. She's been a player I have played with my entire life, here and with the Spanish national team.
"She's always been by my side, exchanging passes, so it will be strange to have her as an opponent."
Arsenal's hopes of silverware under Renée Slegers rest on Saturday's final, while Barça have already win two trophies this season, Liga F and the Spanish Supercopa, and are hoping to win two more.
In addition to aiming for a fourth European title, they also have the Copa de la Reina final to come against Atlético Madrid at the start of June.
If Pere Romeu's side can complete a quadruple, it would be the second time in the club's history they have achieved the feat, having also won all four trophies available to them last season.