Over four months have passed since the draw for the last eight was made, but Wednesday’s UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final first leg between European giants Olympique Lyon and VfL Wolfsburg (kick-off 20:45 CET) is now just a few hours away.
At Tuesday’s pre-match press conference, VfL head coach Stephan Lerch addressed the media about…
…the personnel situation: “As well as long-term absentee Lara Dickenmann, Sara Doorsoun (muscle) and Zsanett Jakabfi (knee) are also ruled out.”
…the importance of the clash: “This fixture could have been a final - as it was last year. This time we play each other twice, and both teams need to ensure they put themselves in as good a position as possible ahead of the return leg. The women’s game can look forward to this one. It’s an encounter between two of Europe’s top teams and we want to play our part.”
…the opposition: “Lyon are a fantastic team with enormous quality. They strengthened in certain areas in the summer and have great strength in depth in every position. They’re top of the French league - as they are every year - they play very good possession football and are unpredictable to play against. We’re aware of Lyon’s strengths and will prepare accordingly.”
…the favourites on Wednesday: “Lyon are currently the holders of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, so we’ve assumed the role of challengers. We’ve travelled here with confidence and want to show it on the pitch, but we also know all about Lyon’s strengths. I’m still hoping for an evenly matched encounter, which is a distinct possibility.”
