BARCELONA -- Caroline Graham Hansen has said over-the-top criticism spurred Barcelona on to reach a sixth Champions League final in seven years as they prepare to meet Arsenal in Lisbon on Saturday.
Defeats earlier in the season to Manchester City, Levante and Real Madrid raised questions about Barça's form heading into the knockout stages in Europe, but they responded with emphatic victories against Chelsea and Wolfsburg.
The back-to-back European champions are now eyeing a third successive Champions League trophy, while they remain on track to complete a second quadruple in a row, with Liga F and the Spanish Supercopa already won and the Copa de la Reina final coming in June.
"Of course we weren't good enough in those [losses], but I think the critics from outside were too big compared to how we were actually doing," Barça winger Hansen told ESPN ahead of this weekend's final.
"When we lost to City in the group stage, it gives you a lot of motivation to show that we can do better. Then we came back from that, but it's like it was hanging over us that a lot of people thought that our run to be good in the Champions League was a bit over.
"And yeah, that was a motivation to show that we still are good, we can still compete against the best and we will still do whatever it takes day by day to make our performance better because at that moment it wasn't good enough.
"Everybody recognised that as individuals and as a team. And we've just been keeping on working to make ourselves better and then you get to the moment where it matters. And we've been really good when it matters this year in the Champions League."
Barça face Arsenal in arguably their best form of the season. Since defeat to Madrid in March, they have won 10 games in a row in all competitions, scoring 48 goals and conceding just four.
"We lost a couple of more games than we are used to, some games that hurt more than others," Hansen continued.
"But I don't think it's been so much up and down [this season]. I think we started the season slowly and we've been going upwards slowly since."
Arsenal, though, will represent a tough challenge after defying the odds to beat eight-time winners Lyon in the semifinal, winning 4-1 in France after losing the first leg in London.
"I wouldn't say I'm surprised, but I would say that they were maybe a slight underdog," Hansen said of Arsenal's progress in the competition.
"But they have shown this year that they can really compete against the best. They've been a bit unlucky with injuries and had a change of coaching staff, so maybe they haven't had the flow all season that they wished for.
"I wouldn't say it's a surprise that they are in the final. I just think they put it together in the last moment. After changing coach, you need a bit of time to get it going again. Luckily for them they found the perfect moment to perform when it matters and show how good they are as a team.
"We haven't played against them so much. I think it's going to be fun. It's cool to have another team that we haven't played yet [in a final]."
There will be a familiar face on the Arsenal side in Mariona Caldentey, who left Barça for the north London side last summer after running her contract down.
"I wish she was on our team on Saturday," Hansen said. "I'm really happy that she's having this great season with them.
"Obviously, she's been missed because she's a very nice person inside the locker room and a fantastic player on the pitch. It's going to be weird to see her on the other side ... I hope I won't see any goals from her!"
One potential pitfall facing Barça this weekend is complacency. They have won three of the last four Champions Leagues, losing in the other final in 2022, while Arsenal are appearing at this stage for the first time since 2007.
Hansen has been involved in all of the last four finals and says while she thought she would win a Champions League with Barça, she "never imagined" this level of success.
She also insists that the players have not lost that taste for winning trophies after so many years of dominance.
"I don't think you ever get tired of winning," she said. "We know it's going to be tough, even tougher, because when you've done it once, it's difficult to replicate because everybody will be watching you and trying to stop you.
"But it's like you have to reset and try to do it again because you play football for the fun of it and the fun part is winning. To try to be there at the biggest final every year is a big goal to ask, but as a group and as an individual, it's what you're working for.
"You don't get tired of winning in that sense because it's what everybody's trying to do and it's the beauty of the game."