The footballers of VfL Wolfsburg are in the final of the Champions League. In a high-class semi-final in San Sebastián, the team around superstar Pernille Harder prevailed 1-0 (0-0) against FC Barcelona. Fridolina Rolfö scored the decisive goal (58th minute). The preparatory work was done by striker Ewa Pajor with a deflected overhead kick.
After a convincing 9-1 victory in the quarter-finals over Glasgow City FC, the Wolfsburg women were slightly favored in the game against last year’s finalists from Barcelona. However, they got off to a better start: The first deals by ex-Wolfsburg Caroline Graham Hansen (3rd) and star striker Asisat Oshoala (9th) showed early on that FC Barcelona would not make it easy for the German champions.
In the 14th minute, the Wolfsburg team were twice as lucky: a Barcelona corner kick that had jumped off the arm of defender Kathrin Hendrich was not punished as a penalty-ready handball, on the one hand it was steered over the crossbar by goalkeeper Friederike Abt. Then the wolves found their way into the game better, Rolfö only narrowly missed an opening pass from Ingrid Syrstad Engen (28th).
High level from both sides
The game continued at eye level: The wing game and the quick counterattacks of the Wolfsburgs caused problems for Barcelona, the ball possession game and the well-organized pressing of the Catalans challenged Stephan Lerch’s team. Oshoala (36th) and Huth (44th) gave the best chances on each side until the break.
After the break, Hansen initially missed the biggest chance for Barcelona so far: The Norwegian decided to cross the pass a few meters from the Wolfsburg goal instead of at the end, Kathrin Hendrich intercepted the pass to Oshoala (54th). Rolfö made it better on the other side: The Catalans could only fend off a cross from Svenja Huth with a candle. Pajor tried to get the falling ball on goal with an overhead kick, but hit the back of Mapi León – and so hung up for the shot-ready Swede.
Luck in the final stages
As a result, the Wolfsburg women completely relocated to the counter game, Barça ran up. Abt parried strongly against a header from Oshoala from close range (62nd), Mariona Caldentey (64th), Jennifer Hermoso (75th) and the substitute Aitana Bonmati (85th) missed the goal from promising positions.
The final of the Champions League will take place on August 30th (8 p.m., TV: Sport1, live ticker SPIEGEL), the opponents of the Wolfsburg will decide between Olympique Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. Most recently, Wolfsburg were in the Champions League final in 2018, when they lost Lyon 4-1 after extra time.
