UEFA Women’s Champions League Preview: OL Lyonnes vs. VfL Wolfsburg
| Stuart Franklin/Getty Images |
VfL Wolfsburg Frauen lock horns with OL Lyonnes for the third time this season in the Women’s Champions League. The French giants were victorious in the league phase meeting, but Wolfsburg stunned them last week as they became the first team to beat Jonatan Giráldez’s side this season.
However, Wolfsburg were at the end of another surprising result on Saturday with a 3-3 draw at home against the Frauen-Bundesliga’s newly-promoted side, Union Berlin. Stina Johannes’ red card meant the captain, Janina Minge, had to play the last few minutes as a goalkeeper since they had already used all their substitutions.
Wolfsburg eventually salvaged a point in injury-time courtesy of the former Barcelona fullback Judit Pujols. With a 13-point gap between FC Bayern and Wolfsburg, the defending champions will now have the opportunity to seal the title in the next matchday after the international break.
With a 2-2 draw away at Strasbourg, OL Lyonnes surprisingly dropped points for only the second time in the Première Ligue this season. They are still 14 points ahead of second-placed Paris FC, but there is a playoff round after the end of the regular season in France.
Team News
Including Lineth Beerensteyn, who has scored her 19th Champions League goal with the only strike of the first leg at Volkswagen Arena, Stephan Lerch only used several key players off the bench against Union Berlin.
Predicted Lineups
OL Lyonnes: Endler; Lawrence, Renard ©, Engen, Bacha; Egurrola, Heaps; Dumornay; Chawinga, Hegerberg, Diani
Wolfsburg: Johannes; Linder, Dijkstra, Küver, Bjelde; Peddemors, Kielland, Minge ©; Huth, Beerensteyn, Endemann
