Women

Stopped from the Spot

The She-Wolves lose to Inter Milan on penalties and miss out on the UWCL league phase.

VfL Wolfsburg Women have missed out on a place in the league phase of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. After securing a 2-0 victory in the first leg, the Green-and-Whites were beaten 3-1 by Inter Milan after 120 minutes in the return fixture, sending the tie to a penalty shootout.

Elisa Bartoli gave the hosts the lead shortly before half-time (40’), before Elisa Polli made it 2-0 late on (84’) to level the aggregate score. Weronika Arasniewicz pulled one back in extra time (111’), but Marija Milinkovic struck with the final action of the match to make it 3-1 (120+1’) and force a penalty shootout.

Janina Minge, Ella Peddemors, Sarai Linder and Arasniewicz all converted from the spot for VfL before Mara Alber missed and Inter scored the decisive penalty. The result means the She-Wolves miss out on the UWCL league phase and will now continue their European campaign in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup.

Team news

VfL head coach Stephan Lerch made three changes to the starting XI that had secured a 2-1 victory away to Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Lieske Carleer came in for Sophia Kleinherne, Smilla Vallotto returned to the line-up in place of Weronika Arasniewicz, while Lara Prasnikar replaced Anny Kerim-Lindland. Lerch therefore named the same starting XI that had earned the 2-0 first-leg victory over Inter.

Match action

Both teams began the match at a high tempo and looked to get forward from the outset. The first dangerous move belonged to the hosts as Inter worked the ball down the left and Bartoli delivered a dangerous cross into the middle, but there was nobody there to meet it (6’).

The She-Wolves also looked to establish themselves in attacking areas early on, although they initially struggled to create a clear shooting opportunity. A turnover just outside their own penalty area then presented Inter with a dangerous opening at the other end. The hosts got a shot away and subsequently appealed for a penalty, but the referee waved play on (18’).

The contest remained evenly matched and fiercely fought, with neither side able to gain a clear advantage. Just after the half-hour mark, the Green-and-Whites registered their first noteworthy opportunity. A short goal kick from the Inter goalkeeper fell to Zicai, who moved inside and went for goal, although her effort caused the goalkeeper few problems (33’).

Instead, it was the hosts who struck shortly before the interval. Bartoli advanced down the left, cut into the penalty area and found the bottom-right corner with the outside of her right foot to make it 1-0 (40’). Inter increased the pressure after taking the lead, but the She-Wolves prevented any further goals before the break and headed into the dressing room trailing 1-0.

The Green-and-Whites made the better start after the restart and quickly threatened. Zicai broke through down the left, drove into the penalty area and went for goal. The Inter goalkeeper made the initial save before the hosts’ defence desperately cleared the rebound (50’).

The game became more balanced again after that. Inter enjoyed longer spells of possession, while the She-Wolves looked to transition quickly after winning the ball. Clear-cut chances were few and far between for either side during this period.

VfL began to pose more of a threat again as the game entered its closing stages. Peddemors delivered a corner from the left into the penalty area, where Küver came close to getting her head to the ball, only for the Inter defence to clear at the last moment (80’).

Drama until the final second

Just four minutes later, VfL suffered another setback. Magull delivered the ball into the Wolfsburg penalty area from the right, where Polli was on hand to turn it home for 2-0 (84’). The goal levelled the tie on aggregate.

Inter continued to push forward in the closing stages, while the She-Wolves prevented the hosts from adding another. The score remained 2-0 to Inter after 90 minutes, meaning the tie went to extra time.

Clear-cut opportunities were initially hard to come by, but the She-Wolves threatened twice in quick succession shortly before the end of the first 15-minute period. Bussy advanced down the left, moved inside and shot, but the Inter goalkeeper got her fingertips to the ball and tipped it over the crossbar. Just seconds later, Küver had another big opportunity with a header but was also denied by the goalkeeper (105+1’).

The Green-and-Whites carried that momentum into the second half of extra time and were rewarded in the 111th minute. Huth sent a high ball into the penalty area from the right, where Arasniewicz met the delivery and directed it towards goal. The ball slipped underneath the Inter goalkeeper and crossed the line to make it 2-1 (111’).

That put the She-Wolves back in front on aggregate and once again on course for the league phase. VfL protected their advantage deep into stoppage time, but Inter levelled the aggregate score with the final action of the match. Following a corner, the ball dropped to Milinkovic, who struck it first time and found the net for 3-1 (120+1’).

The tie therefore had to be decided by a penalty shootout. Minge, Peddemors, Linder and Arasniewicz all converted VfL’s first four attempts, while Inter were also flawless from the spot. Alber then missed Wolfsburg’s fifth penalty before the hosts converted the decisive kick to seal victory.

The result means the She-Wolves miss out on a place in the league phase of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and will continue their European campaign in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup.

Coach’s reaction

Stephan Lerch: Straight after the game, you just feel very empty and, to some extent, lost for words. It was a very emotional game and, of course, it hurts immensely to go out in such unfortunate circumstances. We had set our sights high and obviously imagined things turning out very differently. The team gave everything right until the end, but unfortunately we didn’t achieve our goal. That makes it difficult to look ahead again today, and I think that’s perfectly understandable. We now need to take the time to process it all together. As bitter as it feels right now, that’s part of football. Of course, we’ll pick ourselves up again because the next challenges are already waiting for us. But for today, it’s important that we first digest this game and our elimination.

Line-ups and statistics

Inter Milan: Runarsdottir – Bartoli, Milinkovic, Ivana, van Diemen – Glionna (75’ Schough), Vilhjalmsdottir (60’ Magull), Santi (60’ Tomasevic), Le Bihan (61’ Payne) – Raphino (53’ Bugeja), Polli (98’ Detruyer)

Substitutes: Forcinella (GK), Robbioni (GK), Garcia, Giudici, Oyedupe, Tomaselli

VfL Wolfsburg: Johannes – Bjelde (77’ Wedemeyer), Carleer (94’ Kleinherne), Küver, Linder – Vallotto (46’ Arasniewicz), Minge, Peddemors – Huth (119’ Alber), Prasnikar (63’ Kerim-Lindland), Zicai (78’ Bussy)

Substitutes: Tufekovic (GK), Schönwetter (GK), Bogaert, Landenberger, Piljic

Goals: 1-0 Bartoli (40’), 2-0 Polli (84’), 2-1 Arasniewicz (111’), 3-1 Milinkovic (120+1’)

Penalty shootout: Minge scores, Magull scores, Peddemors scores, Bugeja scores, Linder scores, Schough scores, Arasniewicz scores, Milinkovic scores, Alber misses, Andres scores

Yellow cards: Milinkovic, Tomasevic, Runarsdottir / Minge, Kerim-Lindland, Wedemeyer

Referee: Olatz Rivera Olmedo (Spain)

Attendance: 350 at the Stadio Ernesto Breda.