Barcelona with world player Putellas
This experience against this opponent should leave a lasting impression on all players. “They are the best team at the club at the moment,” Stroot knows about the strengths of the Catalans. The Spanish champions have won all 27 league games this season, scoring 146 goals. “They worked extremely hard on that,” said VfL captain Alexandra Popp.
“Camp Nou is a legendary stadium – actually quite unattainable for us footballers.”
— Goalkeeper Almuth Schult
In Alexia Putellas, the hosts also have the world footballer in their ranks. “She’s always there in tricky situations and scores a lot of decisive and important goals,” Popp described her opponent as “the lynchpin”.
Popp wants to take the last step to the final
In terms of sport, the Stroot team should of course make the best possible impression on the pitch. “I’m not the one who sets limits. Above all, we’re about to break boundaries,” said the 33-year-old coach about his team’s great self-confidence. The leader of the Bundesliga and DFB Cup finalist is once again proving his class in Europe. Most recently, Wolfsburg prevailed against Arsenal in the quarter-finals. Now, after 2013 and 2014, it can be the Champions League Cup again.
“I’m not the one who sets boundaries. Above all, we’re about to break boundaries.”
— VfL coach Tommy Stroot
Popp is at least thinking very tenderly about the final on May 21 in Turin: “When you’re so close, then of course we want to take the last step towards the final first.”
Oberdorf missing injured
The experienced captain will play from the start. She replaces defensive midfielder Lena Oberdorf, who has a knee injury and will also miss the second leg. The coach left Popp’s exact position open at the press conference.
There are still enough tickets for the second leg on April 30 (6 p.m.). If it were to be 20,000 spectators in the large Wolfsburg Arena who would accompany VfL on their difficult road to the final, Popp would be more than satisfied. The record for a home game for Wolfsburg is 12,464 fans – set in 2014 in the Bundesliga against 1. FFC Frankfurt.
But first you have to survive the football festival in the atmospheric (and probably sold out) Camp Nou stadium.