Ten years after winning the treble, VfL Wolfsburg Women are aiming to lift the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the third time when they take on Barcelona in Eindhoven on Saturday 3 June (kick-off 16:00 CEST). VfL are appearing in the final of Europe’s premier club competition for the sixth time – more often than any other German club apart from 1. FFC Frankfurt, who also boast six final appearances.
A first: The Women’s Champions League final is being held in the Netherlands for the first time. Given the high demands for tickets, the 35,000-capacity Philips Stadion – the country’s third-biggest stadium – almost doesn’t feel big enough. As it turns out, UEFA might even have succeeded in selling out the 55,885-capacity Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, or the Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam (51,177).
Former winners: Whichever team lifts the trophy on Saturday, it won’t be the first time for either side. The She-Wolves won the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2013 and 2014, while Barcelona – who are appearing in their third consecutive final – were crowned European champions in 2021.
Not Lyon (for a change): VfL beat Olympique Lyon 1-0 to win their first UWCL title in 2013, but they were left empty-handed by the French side – who until recently were regarded as Europe’s dominant women’s team – in subsequent seasons. The She-Wolves faced Lyon in the final in 2016, 2018 and 2020, but were beaten on each occasion.
A welcome prize: While VfL’s full focus is on winning the showpiece, victory in Eindhoven would prove useful for next season too. If they win the Champions League, the She-Wolves would be guaranteed a place in the group stage of the 2023/24 competition. After finishing as runners-up in the league, defeat would mean they enter the play-offs, where they could face the likes of Manchester United. As newcomers to the competition, the English side would be unseeded.
