The footballers of VfL Wolfsburg do not want to be intimidated by the expected world record crowd at FC Barcelona.
“Of course that can have an impact. But that’s exactly what we experienced players are there for, who already know one or the other situation in full stadiums. We want to take the younger ones by the hand and try to make them feel good,” said the captain Alexandra Popp before the semi-final first leg in the Champions League on April 22 (6.45 p.m. / DAZN).
The defending champions from Spain are expecting 98,000 spectators at the Camp Nou. That would be more than the 91,553 in the quarterfinals against Real Madrid. There have never been so many fans at a women’s game. “I think the game can really be an example for women’s football. There’s going to be a lot going on tomorrow – at all levels,” said 33-year-old coach Tommy Stroot.
Barcelona with world footballer Alexia Putellas is already the Spanish champion. The team has won all 27 league games so far with a goal difference of 146:8. “Barcelona are the clear favorites in the games. They are the best club team at the moment,” said Stroot, but with a view to his team’s successes in the premier class against Arsenal and Chelsea and most recently against FC Bayern, he emphasized: “The other side is that we have shown in many, many games what is possible.”
The Wolfsburg women, who are on course for the title in the Bundesliga and are in the DFB Cup final, can even manage the treble this season. They had already triumphed in the premier class in 2013 and 2014. For the second leg on April 30 (6 p.m. / DAZN) in the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg, Popp is hoping for 20,000 visitors. The record for a home game for Wolfsburg is 12,464.