Sturm Graz bowed out of the UEFA Women’s Europa Cup second qualifying round on Wednesday, falling 2–0 to German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg at Stadion Graz Liebenau for an 8–1 aggregate defeat. In Sweden, SKN St. Pölten also saw their European campaign end with a 3–0 loss away to Malmö FF, sealing a 5–0 aggregate exit.
Bogaert Sets the Tone in Graz
Wolfsburg secured their progression before a crowd of 1,649 spectators in Liebenau, controlling the fixture after an early breakthrough. Lou Bogaert opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a direct free kick, curling the ball from just outside the penalty area over the defensive wall past Sturm goalkeeper Vanessa Gritzner. The set-piece opportunity arose following the match’s first foul, committed by Lilla Sipos against Mara Alber.
Sturm’s Disallowed Effort and Wolfsburg’s Pressure
Sturm thought they had found an equalizer shortly after halftime when Marie Spieß scored in the 53rd minute, but English referee Emily Heaslip ruled the effort out for offside. While the Austrian side struggled to carve out further clear-cut opportunities, the visitors capitalized on their territorial advantage without adding to their tally until late in the match. Smilla Vallotto struck the crossbar in the 81st minute before Katherina Piljic fired narrowly over just a minute later.
Late Goal Cinch Win for the Wolves
Wolfsburg’s pressure finally told in the 84th minute when substitute Anny Kerim-Lindland, introduced only two minutes prior, scored to make it 2–0. Vallotto missed another chance to extend the lead in the 87th minute, but the German side safely saw out the closing stages to confirm their spot in the round of 16 following a 6–1 victory in the first leg.
St. Pölten Falls Short in Malmö
Earlier hopes of a comeback for SKN St. Pölten in Sweden dissolved quickly against Malmö FF. SKN trainer Laurent Fassotte had stressed the importance of scoring first to shift momentum, but Ellen Löfqvist dashed those plans by opening the scoring for the hosts in the eighth minute following an assist from Hlin Eiriksdöttir.
Malmö Seals Aggregate Victory
The tie was effectively settled twenty minutes later when Tuva Skoog, who starred in the first leg, converted a pass from Isabella D’Aquila to double Malmö’s lead. After the interval, Skoog and D’Aquila reversed roles, with D’Aquila scoring in the 58th minute to establish the 3–0 scoreline. Malmö advanced with a 5–0 aggregate margin after taking a 2–0 lead from the opening leg.
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