2023-04-24 16:58:54
AAbove all, the painful scene that caused an uproar shortly before the end of the game stays in your head as an encourager. Lena Oberdorf allowed herself a tactical foul and was then roughly bumped into by opponent McCabe. “It’s all settled,” said Oberdorf after the 2-2 win in the Champions League home game against Arsenal.
Anyone who knows how to interpret the facial expressions of the resolute player from VfL Wolfsburg discovered a biting message for the second leg. Oberdorf’s serious look conveyed that this story has not yet been told to the end. On May 1st (game starts at 6:45 p.m. on DAZN), the Wolves will play in the second leg of the semifinals in London.
“They are good at punishing mistakes”
It’s because of VfL Wolfsburg’s high standards that this draw felt like a defeat. “I’m a little disappointed. But we can beat Arsenal,” said goalkeeper Merle Frohms. After the deserved Wolfsburg 2-0 lead through goals from Ewa Pajor (19th minute) and the strong Sveindis Jonsdottir (24th), the game took an unexpected turn.
Frohms was powerless just before half time when Raffael headed the 1:2. Stina Blackstenius equalized for Arsenal after 69 minutes. “They are good at punishing mistakes,” said Frohms, the VfL goalkeeper.
The joy of being able to move something big again has been put on hold at VfL Wolfsburg for the time being. Because Arsenal, who had already beaten Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, can be sure of the support of more than 40,000 spectators in the second leg. Last year, the Wolfsburg team failed miserably in a similar task. It was 1: 5 in front of 91,648 spectators at FC Barcelona.
Almost all regular players had their hearts in their pants in the semi-finals. This time there should be a more courageous appearance in London. “Big games need big sets. We need that for ourselves,” says VfL head coach Tommy Stroot. One of his core tasks is to challenge and encourage the Wolfsburg team, which is peppered with international players, in everyday league life in such a way that the next step in the Champions League is successful.
The fact that VfL Wolfsburg in particular and German women’s football in general are taking the next step can be seen from the impressive figures. 22,617 spectators against Arsenal gave the “wolves” a new home game record. They had moved to the VfL men’s stadium for their beautiful Champions League evening.
Also on Sunday, 1. FC Köln welcomed 38,365 spectators at their first division home game. It was lost 0:2 and still remains a success. Stroot calls such audience numbers outstanding. “That’s what we work for. That’s the right development,” said the VfL coach. A Wolfsburg victory in the second leg at Arsenal London would be a smart PR measure to score points in a long-distance duel with the dominant men’s football and many other sports.
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