"I want to enjoy it and bring some composure"

Lena Oberdorf on her role with the She-Wolves, tougher times, and a new hobby.

VfL-Wolfsburg-Spielerin Lena Oberdorf jubelt mit Stürmerin Ewa Pajor nach einem erzielten Tor.

Almost a week ago now, Lena Oberdorf (22) made her 100th competitive appearance for VfL Wolfsburg in Essen. In this latest interview, "Obi" talks about her development with the Wolves since joining in the summer of 2020, memorable moments, and a new hobby that she discovered when things weren’t going so well on the field.

Lena Oberdorf, you played your 100th competitive game for VfL just under a week ago. What did it mean to you?

Lena Oberdorf: I didn't actually know that before the game – I only found out afterwards and was a bit surprised. It felt like it went really fast. It's definitely a special milestone. I owe the club a huge amount. I think I’ve developed really well here and still have plenty of room to grow.

If you had to pick one game, which VfL match stands out most?

Lena: The game which really made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up was in the group stage of the Champions League in 2021 against Chelsea. We had to win by two goals, everyone had written us off and no one really believed in us. Then we won 4-0. That was seriously intense.

Ahead of the current campaign, Ralf Kellermann said in an interview that you’re often seen purely as an enforcer. What did you make of that?

Lena: I don’t think I can really get away from this “midfield general” tag anymore because it's what distinguishes me, but of course I want to show that I can do more, especially now in the second half of the season. I really struggled in the first half of the season and couldn't find the same level of performance I showed in previous campaigns. So my main objective is getting back to the old me, to enjoy it and bring some composure to proceedings. I think I did well against Essen and I want to carry on in that vein for the rest of the season.

You say it was a difficult period for you on the field. Were there any positives in the first half of the campaign?

Lena: I spoke a lot with our sports psychologist Robin and ended up getting myself a mixing deck. Right now, I'm just doing it for fun. I need to get into it a bit more and the tunes aren’t exactly how I want them. I'm waiting for it to click, but it's not going too badly.

The second half of the season gets going on Sunday against Leverkusen. What kind of match are you expecting?

Lena: We have to be fully focused against Leverkusen. They switch between various different systems, but I think we’re quite well prepared and can adapt to each one. Still, we need to be more consistent in making the most of our chances. We’re good at getting into the final third, but we need to improve our final ball and finishing. If we can do that, I'm sure we'll take home the three points.