Barcelona eats at the same table as Wolfsburg. His status as European champion allows him to face a team that came to reign twice in the Old Continent and that has been one of the great scourges of the azulgrana in the highest continental competition. The she-wolves they beat the azulgrana in the quarterfinals of the 2014 edition and in the semifinals of 2020. “There is no distance,” Alexia Putellas said as soon as that duel ended.
This Friday’s match (18:45, DAZN) is more than just a revenge for Barcelona, it is the way to overcome a mental barrier that puts it on the way to marking an era. The objective is to be in the final in Turin -and defend the title, obviously- and there is a conspiracy in the locker room to achieve it. The first of the three steps to achieve this will take place today at a Camp Nou that is expected to once again enjoy the atmosphere of the big events and, whether there is a record or not, take the team on wings.
recover troops
Jonatan Giráldez recovers five props for the occasion: Hansen, Guijarro, Pina, Mariona and Oshoala. The first three point directly to eleven; the last two, after being discharged after ten weeks in the dry dock, will wait their turn on the bench. “On a mental level, it conditions never having beaten Wolfsburg, but we have to focus on the game”, assures the Galician technician. “It is remarkable the mentality that the team has shown offensively and defensively in each game,” he adds.
It will be a special match for three Barça players with a German past: Engen and Rolfö, who arrived last summer, and Hansen, who landed in Barcelona in 2019. “We want to show everyone what a good team we are,” said a Caro who admitted to having a controlled nervousness: “Nerves are good for having adrenaline. If you don’t have it, you’re not ready. I need it a little bit”.
Goal-scoring duel: Waßmuth-Alexia
Wolfsburg landed in Barcelona on Thursday and was able to train on the green of Cam Nou under the rain that was the protagonist yesterday in Barcelona (no rain expected today). He did it with two last-minute casualties, Kiedrzynek and Oberdorf, the one who was the best young player in the world in 2020. “We don’t want to hide, we want to show our faces. We have to focus on our quality and we know we will have our chances,” said Tommy Stroot, the German coach, in a brave speech.
In addition to Pajor and Popp, who are still in top condition after overcoming long-term injuries, the great danger of she-wolves is Waßmuth, a 25-year-old striker who, with nine goals, is the top scorer in the Champions League to dateadding one more than Alexia.
Will there be a new record?
Barcelona put on sale on Thursday the last 6,000 tickets from rival returns (300 Germans are expected at the Camp Nou) and various commitments. On Thursday there were still 2,000 tickets on sale that the club hopes can be sold out at the box office at the last minute, as was done in the quarterfinals against Real Madrid when 91,553 spectators were reached in what is the best ticket in history for a women’s soccer match.
Wolfsburg also announced that ticket sales for the return leg on April 30 at the Volkswagen Arena are continuing to accelerate, with more than 10,000 sold.
