In mid-November last year, the VfL women had their last outing in the UEFA Women᾽s Champions League. Now the long wait for their quarter-final games in the competition is finally at an end: On Thursday, March 22nd (kick-off 18:00 CET), VfL head coach Stephan Lerch will send his side into action in the AOK Stadion for the quarter-final first-leg against Czech representatives Slavia Prague – with the Green-Whites looking to put themselves in the best possible position for the away clash in the second-leg.
"Quickly switch the play"
Although his side are expected to take a distinctly more defensive approach to the game against the Green-Whites, Slavia’s head coach Pavel Medynsky has a set plan for the game in the AOK Stadion. "We are not just setting out to defend, but rather we will also be looking to make an impact offensively. We’ve seen all of VfL most recent games and we are well-prepared." Lerch suspects an alteration in the approach could cause the visitors problems. "As Prague are so dominant in their domestic league, a more defensive display could possibly create a situation which the team are not accustomed to. We want to try make that work in our favour. We want to operate with tempo, close down the spaces and switch the play quickly, to prevent their attackers from getting into the game."
Pajor back in the squad
For the clash with Slavia Prague, the Lady-Wolves can once again call upon the services of Ewa Pajor, who has recovered from her back problem and is back in the squad. Aside from the long-term injured Babett Peter, Vanessa Bernauer and Meret Wittje, the Green-Whites must also make do without new signings Kristine Minde, Claudia Neto and Ella Masar, who are not eligible to play in the Champions League. For those as yet undecided, tickets for the game will be available from the ticket-booths at the stadium as from one and a half hours before kick-off.
