UWCL PREVIEW: FC Barcelona v Vfl Wolfsburg

UWCL PREVIEW: FC Barcelona v Vfl Wolfsburg

At 6.45pm CEST, a huge crowd is expected at Camp Nou as the Catalans battle one of the giants of the European game for a place in the final in Turin

FC Barcelona play Vfl Wolfsburg (6.45pm CEST) on Friday in the first leg of the UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-finals, and the target is a third European final in just four years and the chance to defence the club’s first ever continental title won in Gothenburg last year.

Once again the venue is the Camp Nou. Following the remarkable success of the quarter final against Real Madrid, which attracted a world record attendance for a women’s football match, the largest stadium in Europe is once again expecting a massive crowd of fans to cheer the team on, hopefully, to May’s grand final in Turin.

Two days before kick-off, every single ticket had been sold. Fans coming to the game are strongly advised to check out the following instructions to ensure everything goes smoothly at the gates. And don't forget that there are also plenty of pre-game entertainments, so there's an extra reason to get there nice and early!

The opposition

Wolfsburg are a side with no lack of European pedigree. The winners of six of the last nine Germans championships, the Frauen-Bundesliga, have also won the UWCL on two previous occasions, back-to-back in 2013 and 2014.

Since then they have never failed to reach at least the quarter finals and have reached three further finals, losing all three to Olympique Lyonnais.

Their formidable squad is packed with players with international experience.

Most international caps
Alexandra Popp (Germany, 113); Shanice van de Sanden (Holland, 95); Dominique Janssen (Holland, 81); Jill Roord (Holland, 73); Svenja Huth (Germany, 65); Almuth Schult (Germany, 64); Ewa Pajor (Poland, 61); Katarzyna Kiedrzynek (POland, 52); Kathrin Hendrich (Germany, 45); Anna Blässe (Germany, 27); Lena Oberdorf (Germany, 26), Pauline Bremer (Germany, 21), Felicitas Rauch (Germany, 20)

Previous meetings in UWCL

This is the third time that the teams have crossed paths in the competition, and until now Barça have not won or even scored a goal against the Germans. It’s time to set that record straight!

2013/14 Quarter Final
Wolfsburg 3-0 Barça
Barça 0-2 Wolfsburg

2019/20 Semi Final
Wolfsburg 1-0 Barça (in San Sebastian)

 

Form guide

Barça have been in impeccable form in 2021/22, playing 27 games in La Liga (already confirmed champions), eight in the Champions League, two in the Copa de la Reina and two in the Spanish Super Cup, and have won every single one of those 39 matches!

After missing out on the German title last season to Bayern Munich, Wolfsburg are currently on good course to win the trophy back. They’re four points clear at the top of the table, having suffered just one defeat, 2-1 at 1899 Hoffenheim. The highlight of their season was a 6-0 trouncing of Bayern.

They’re also through to the German cup final, where they’ll face Turbine Potsdam.

In last year’s UWCL, Wolfsburg went out at the quarter final stage, 5-1 on aggregate to Chelsea, the side Barça would go on to beat 4-0 in the final.

Having failed to win the Frauen-Bundesliga, they had to qualify for this year’s UWCL and very nearly failed to do so, eventually seeing off French side Bordeaux on penalties.

Once there, they topped their group ahead of Juventus, Chelsea and Servette Chênois and then beat Arsenal 3-1 on aggregate to earn this match-up with Barça.

Team news

Prior to Thursday’s training session at Camp Nou, the FC Barcelona Medical Services announced that four key players, Claudia Pina, Mariona Caldentey, Patricia Guijarro and Asisat Oshoala, are all back from injury.

However, the team’s many injury problems are not over, with defender Jana Fernandez, goalkeeper Cata Coll, Dutch midfielder Lieke Martens and striker Bruna Vilamala all missing this game.

Força Barça
Força Barça

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