VfL Wolfsburg Women slipped to a 2-0 defeat against Olympique Lyon on Matchday 2 of this season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League on Thursday evening, despite producing an impressive second-half performance. A pacy Lyon side presented the She-Wolves with significant challenges right from kick-off at the AOK Stadion, and took the lead through a Wendie Renard header in the eighth minute of a dominant first-half display.
The Green-and-Whites were much improved after the break but were unable to find a way back into the game after Lindsey Horan converted a penalty to double Lyon’s advantage (53’).
VfL now need to switch their focus back to domestic matters, with an upcoming league fixture away to SGS Essen at the Stadion an der Hafenstraße on Sunday 20 October (kick-off: 14:00 CEST) representing the team’s last game before the international break. The She-Wolves’ next Champions League assignment is away to Galatasaray on 13 November.
Goals
0-1 Renard (8’): Renard beats Janina Minge to a long ball from Tabitha Chawinga into the VfL penalty area and clinically heads the opener into the right-hand corner.
0-2 Horan (pen. 53’): Minge brings Melchie Dumornay down inside the box and referee Désirée Grundbacher points straight to the spot. Horan sends Merle Frohms the wrong way and slots the ball into the bottom-right corner.
Tommy Stroot: “It was the tough game we expected against the group favourites. I’m not satisfied with our first half display but ultimately we have to admit that Lyon deserved to win.”
Line-ups and stats
VfL Wolfsburg: Frohms – Wilms (90‘+2 Wedemeyer), Hendrich, Minge (54’ Papp), Hegering, Linder (46‘ Rabano) – Huth, Lattwein (77‘ Jonsdottir), Brand (46‘ Beerensteyn) – Endemann, Popp
Subs: Schmitz (GK), Borbe (GK), Hagel, Kielland, Kalma, Blomqvist
Olympique Lyon: Endler – Carpenter, Gilles, Renard, Svava – Marozsan (72‘ Däbritz), Egurrola, Diani (81‘ Van de Donk), Horan, Chawinga (72‘ Le Sommer) – Dumornay
Subs: Ammar (GK), Belhadj (GK), Huerta, Sangaré, Sombath, Sylla, Mendy, Becho, Hegerberg
Goals: 0-1 Renard (8‘), 0-2 Horan (53‘/pen)
Yellow cards: Minge, Huth / Marozsan
Referee: Desiree Grundbacher (Switzerland)
Attendance: 2,403 at AOK Stadion (Wolfsburg)
