FC Barcelona takes on VFL Wolfsburg in the final of the Women’s Champions League on Saturday. Both sides have European roots, although the Spaniards have dominated for the longest. After overcoming Chelsea in 2021 and losing to Lyon in 2022, they will be making their third straight appearance in the championship game. Wolfsburg last competed in 2020, losing to Lyon, a recurrent champion. This will be their sixth final overall. The plot is not quite as simple, so here is a quick summary. Lyon shocked Barcelona in last year’s final despite being strong favorites both last season and this season. Within the first 33 dangerous first-half minutes, they were behind 3-0.
Evidently, a lightning-fast start is the secret to European success. Barca was gullible and was eliminated by Amandine Henry’s intelligence and Ada Hegerberg’s inevitable victory. However, Emma Hayes’ Chelsea is partly to blame for the flaws. Hold on to it. The Blues started their 2021 final in a manner similar to how Barca started theirs last season, which had a similarly terrible outcome. Chelsea fell down after just 33 seconds as Barcelona outscored the WSL champions four times in just 36 minutes. Barca tried to attack Lyon the same way they did the previous year, but they were outclassed by a far more cunning, competent, and skilled foe.
They cannot afford to make the error at this time. It would be foolish for FC Barcelona to underestimate VFL Wolfsburg. Expect a more measured opening from the Germans, who will undoubtedly be more methodical in their approach given how quickly the past two finals have surpassed one another. It starts to get interesting from here. This game features clashing aesthetics. Barcelona, which is renowned for having the finest tiki-taka in the northern hemisphere, won’t stray from their combative approach. They are experts in possession-based football and believe that the greatest way to defend is through attack.
But Wolfsburg will want to replicate their semi-final matchup against Arsenal. Before launching the counterattack or executing well-practiced set-piece routines, they attempted to contain and frustrate the Gunners. Of course, it’s more fun and exciting to play with fast-moving, aggressive attackers than it is to take the more sensible strategy of positioning yourself to be difficult to break down and putting the focus on your defensive toughness as the Bundesliga team does. However, they are armed as well, and Barca’s defense may be broken because of their gung-ho attitude, which occasionally leaves cracks and vulnerabilities. Will Lucy Bronze, who underwent knee surgery in April, also be put at risk?
Ewa Pajor and Sveindis Jonsdottir have explosive potential, while Alexandra Popp poses a threat in the box. Although Lotte Wubben-Moy’s error allowed Wolfsburg to defeat a seriously injured Arsenal team in the previous round, they are more better at going straight than their Spanish opponents. Despite having a wealth of resources in that area, including England’s Keira Walsh, Barcelona has spent the whole season trying to find a replacement for the loss of captain Alexia Putellas. The midfielder has since recovered from a serious knee injury, but she is not likely to play on Saturday.
This time, the midfield fight will likely be a significant factor in determining the victor because, if Barcelona has truly mastered the art of competing well without their Ballon d’Or winner, they will be unstoppable.
“Every position is filled by elite players at [Wolfsburg], notably up front and in midfield,” Barcelona head coach Jonatan Giraldez said. “They are exceptional players at finding open areas, one-on-one situations, playing the decisive pass, and shooting. Because of the manner they defend, they are an extremely challenging team to defeat.”
“We defeated Barcelona in one leg the previous year. We are aware of the challenges that lie ahead of us,” Wolfsburg head coach Tommy Stroot said. “We are still capable of beating Barcelona in a game despite that and because of how much we have improved from last season. That will be our difficulty. Since we completed the second leg, we know it will be our toughest struggle this year, but we also know it is doable. I’m quite enthusiastic about it because I know the stadium well and it’s a great venue, especially for a final. Your entire existence is geared towards achieving this.”
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