The footballers of VfL Wolfsburg are in the final of the Champions League. The Bundesliga side won the semi-final second leg at Arsenal WFC 3-2 after extra time after the first duel ended 2-2.
In front of 60,063 spectators on Hornsey Road – record crowd for a club game in women’s football in England – Jill Roord (41st), captain Alexandra Popp (58th), who has recovered from a calf injury, and Pauline Bremer (119th) were successful for coach Tommy Stroot’s team on Monday evening. Stina Blackstenius (11th) and Jennifer Beattie (75th) scored for the English runners-up.
In the final on June 3rd in Eindhoven, VfL meets FC Barcelona, who beat Chelsea in the semi-finals.
VAR ensures unnecessary Game Interruption
The game was barely kicked off when it was interrupted again (3rd). It was a man’s fault. His name: Paolo Valeri. His function: video assistant referee. The Italian had informed referee Lina Lehtovaara that Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy had grabbed the hand of the ball in the London penalty area. Valeri recognized that correctly, so Lehtovaara looked at the scene on the screen. The Finn would also have had to give Wolfsburg a penalty after seeing the video if VfL offensive player Sveindís Jane Jónsdóttir hadn’t been flagged for offside seconds before the disputed scene.
So the hosts got a free kick. The question remained why Valeri Lehtovaara drew attention to the handball when he must have seen Jónsdóttir’s offside position earlier.
Blackstenius gives Arsenal the lead
After the almost three-minute break, which was ultimately completely unnecessary, the women from Lower Saxony ran very high against the Arsenal Ladies. The “wolves” wanted to provoke mistakes with the English runners-up – and then made some themselves. In the eleventh minute, Lena Oberdorf initially lost the ball in midfield, seconds later Kathrin Hendrich and goalkeeper Merle Frohms were not in agreement after a fine pass from Lia Wälti who should take the pass out of the danger zone.
The brief hesitation had fatal consequences. Because Blackstenius came running from behind and put Hendrich under so much pressure that she involuntarily tipped the ball past Frohms. Arsenal’s Swedish striker only needed to push in to make it 1-0.
Frohms prevents the 0:2
The Wolfsburg women quickly shook the shock of the unfortunate goal out of their clothes. The Stroot team played calmly and accommodatingly forward, balancing risk and caution in their actions. Because against the Londoners, who at times were very deep in their own half and were waiting for moments to switch, losing the ball was very dangerous. Arsenal’s lead came as a warning to VfL.
Up until half-time, the women from Lower Saxony didn’t allow Arsenal any more chances from the game. It was critical for them only once before the break whistle, when Blackstenius came to the end after a corner kick, but Frohms was able to prevent the 27-year-old’s second goal (30th).
Roord scores a deserved equalizer
A 2-0 would not have corresponded to the course of the game either. The 1:1, which shone from the scoreboard at half-time, was performance-based. And the fact that the “wolves” were able to go into the dressing room with a draw was thanks to a co-production between Popp and Roord: Popp headed the Dutch woman in an exemplary manner, who scored a well-placed shot to equalize. In injury time, Jónsdóttir even managed to make it 2-1 after a fine solo, but was denied by keeper Manuela Zinsberger (45+4).
Popp puts “wolves” in the lead
The second round started like the first: with a request to speak from video assistant referee Valeri. This time, however, the Italian referee Lehtovaara radioed quite rightly. Because Noelle Maritz, who had just prepared the supposed 2-1 through Blackstenius, was offside when she was played (47th). Take a deep breath at VfL, who then intensified their own attacking efforts.
Popp (54′) and Jónsdóttir (57′) were already close to the Wolfsburg opening goal, before it fell in the 58th minute after a corner kick: Felicitas Rauch hit the ball on the near post, where Popp in a header duel with Rafaelle and Frida Maanum prevailed and was successful with a header.
Arsenal WFC – VfL Wolfsburg 2:3 (1:1, 2:2) aet
Arsenal WFC: Zinsberger – Maritz (64th Wienroither/82nd Kühl), Beattie (119th Agyemang), Wubben-Moy, Rafaelle – Maanum, Wälti, Pelova – McCabe, Catley, Blackstenius (64th Hurtig)
VfL Wolfsburg: Frohms – Wilms (106th Hegering), Hendrich, Janssen, Rauch – Roord (120th + 3 Blomqvist), Oberdorf, Huth (90th Bremer), Popp, Jónsdóttir (101st Brand) – Pajor (78th Waßmuth)
Gates: 1-0 Blackstenius (11′), 1-1 Rooord (41′), 1-2 Popp (58′), 2-2 Beattie (75′), 2-3 Bremen (119′)
Viewers: 60,063
Huth leaves the 3:1, Beattie equalizes
Arsenal now pushed their first line of pressing far forward, but initially did not generate any significant ball gains due to their aggressive approach. In addition, large spaces opened up in the English midfield, which VfL almost used to make it 3-1. Svenja Huth had what was supposed to be a preliminary decision but put the ball just wide of the left post (70′). The missed big chance should take revenge. Because five minutes later, Jennifer Beattie equalized after a cross from Wubben-Moy with a head.
In the final phase, both teams tried hard to bring about the decision. However, there were no clear chances, so the match went into overtime.
Bremer first unfocused, then wide awake
There Frohms saved the “wolves” from falling behind with a save against substitute Lina Hurtig (98th). VfL itself didn’t have a chance to score in the first 15 minutes of the extra time. That changed after the change of sides again, when the substitute from Bremen suddenly took the shot, unconstrained, but shot wide of the left post (113′). At the other end, 120 seconds later, a failed cross from Katie McCabe hit the crossbar. It was obvious that both teams wanted to avoid the penalty lottery.
And that didn’t happen either, because defender Wubben-Moy lost the ball in her own penalty area to Jule Brand shortly before the end of the game, and she passed it to the free-standing Bremer. The rest was a matter of form for the former England legionnaire – who played for Manchester City from 2017 to 2020.
picture series
Popp with brains, joker Bremer stands out – VfL women in the individual criticism
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NDR 2 Sports | 05/01/2023 | 11:03 p.m
