Wolfsburg and Lyon will face off Sunday afternoon in the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final. Making this the fourth time the teams have met each other in the championship game.
Neither team has lost a game this season, and both have won their domestic league title as well as cup titles this year as Lyon hopes to make this their seventh UCWL victory, while Wolfsburg aims for their third.
The German Champions, Wolfsburg secured their finals spot after knocking FC Barcelona out of the running in Tuesday’s match. Despite the Spanish Champs dominating possession, Wolfsburg gained the upper hand in the second half. Thanks to a single goal from Swedish forward, Fridolina Rolfö in the 58th-minute.
“We were hoping to have the ball a little bit more but we knew we were playing against a really good team. To be honest, I thought Barcelona played really well but football is not always about keeping the ball. We showed that we could also create chances even if we didn’t have the ball that much”
– Fridolina Rolfö
Lyon’s Lengthy Reign
And that is a skill that will be crucial going into the finals against Lyon, who eliminated PSG Wednesday in a 1-0 win. After dominating for the majority of the match with a goal from Geyoro in the 65th-minute. Lyon has a record of six UWCL championships under their belt. This makes them the most successful team in the league’s history. As they look forward to earning their fifth successive title.
Unbeaten outside of their domestic league since losing to Wolfsburg in the 2013 finals, Lyon has a chance to continue their reign of dominance Sunday. This potential win will also give 2019 POTY, Lucy Bronze, the opportunity to become the first footballer from England to win three successive Euro Cups. The honor would come just before her departure from Lyon following Sunday’s match after four years with the team.
Lyon’s Missing Key – Wolfburgs Advantage
However, Lyon’s star forward, Nikita Parris, is unavailable due to a red card suspension obtained in Wednesday’s game. There is much to wonder about how the loss will affect their performance—considering Parris’ immense contribution to the team’s journey this summer with Marjri anticipated to take on the role against Wolfsburg.
Meanwhile, Pernille Harder is expected to be a crucial part of Wolfburg’s offense as she has all season. Harder’s unbelievable ability to find the back of the net has been a lifesaver for Wolfsburg throughout the season. Most noticeably in the quarterfinals, where she scored four of the team’s nine goals against Glasgow City.
But regardless of who is or isn’t on the field, any match between Lyon and Wolfsburg is guaranteed to be interesting as the decades-old rivalry continues.
Be sure to tune in on Sunday as Wolfsburg and Lyon face off in the UWCL finals yet again. Follow me on Twitter @sporty_spicce and check out Beyond Women’s Sports for more articles on amazing women and their sport.
