Women

Heavy defeat

The She-Wolves slipped to a 4-1 reverse against FC Barcelona in the first leg of their UWCL quarter-final.

VfL Wolfsburg Women suffered a 4-1 defeat at home to FC Barcelona in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final tie. The 13,185 spectators at the Volkswagen Arena witnessed an encounter in which the visitors – who have won the last two continental titles – dominated throughout the 90 minutes. 

An unfortunate own goal from Caitlin Dijkstra (26’) paved the way for the Green-and-Whites’ loss, and was followed by strikes from Irene Paredes (50’), Salma Paralluelo (53’) and Sydney Schertenleib (88’) in the second half.
Janina Minge (79’) was on the scoresheet for VfL, who now have a week to gear up for the return leg in Barcelona on Thursday 27 March (kick-off 18:45 CET). 

Goals

  • 0-1 Dijkstra (o.g. 26’): Aitana Bonmati receives a long ball wide on the right and, from the byline, she cuts the ball back for former She-Wolf Ewa Pajor. Dijkstra tries to intervene but can only divert the ball into her own net. 
     
  • 0-2 Paredes (50’): Barcelona take a short corner. Caroline Graham Hansen finds Maria Leon, who crosses the ball into the box for Paredes to prod home from close range. 
     
  • 0-3 Paralluelo (53’): A misunderstanding in the VfL defence gives Barcelona space to attack. Bonmati squares the ball to Paralluelo, who controls it with her chest before smashing it into the net. 
     
  • 1-3 Minge (79’): The She-Wolves pull one back! Lynn Wilms delivers a corner high into the box and finds the unmarked Minge near the penalty spot to head home.
     
  • 1-4 Schertenleib (88’): Minge loses possession and Fridolina Rolfö passes to Schertenleib, who curls the ball into the top-right corner.

Reaction

Janina Minge: “It was extremely difficult against Barcelona. We hardly had any possession and we were constantly chasing the ball. We were always a yard too slow and couldn’t get going at all in the tackles. But we won’t give up and we want to do things better in the return leg.”

Line-ups and stats 

VfL Wolfsburg: Borbe –Linder (59‘ Jonsdottir), Wilms, Dijkstra, Minge, Wedemeyer – Huth, Lattwein (90‘+3 Kielland), Brand (59‘ Peddemors) – Beerensteyn (71‘ Blomqvist), Popp (71‘ Endemann)

Subs: Schmitz (GK), Smolarczyk (GK), Hagel, Papp, Blomqvist, Endemann, Hegering

FC Barcelona: Cata Coll – J. Fernandez (90‘+2 Torrejon), Paredes, Leon, Brugts (70‘ Engen) – Bonmati (90‘ +2 Vicky Lopez), Patri Guijarro, Putellas (85‘ Schertenleib) – Graham Hansen, Pajor, Salma Paralluelo (70‘ Rolfö)

Subs: Font Oliveras (GKr), Font (GK), Parera, Torrejon, Cano, Engen, Serrajordi, Pina

Goals: 0-1 Dijkstra (26‘/own goal), 0-2 Paredes (50‘), 0-3 Paralluelo (53‘), 1-3 Minge (79‘), 1-4 Schertenleib (88‘)

Yellow cards: Popp / Schertenleib

Referee:  Ivana Projkovska (MKD)

Attendance: 13,158 at Volkswagen Arena (Wolfsburg)