Wolfsburg takes the lead
Watch Wolfsburg vs PSG women Preview of the second leg quarter finals of the champions league as Wolfsburg hosts PSG women taking place at Volkswagen arena on Thursday.
Wolfsburg vs PSG Women Preview
The hosts will be looking to progress to the last four for a second straight season, while PSG have the chance to reach the semi-finals for the fourth consecutive time.
Wolfsburg take a slender advantage into Thursday’s contest after they prevailed in Paris last week thanks to Dominique Janssen’s second-half spot kick.
Moments after a decision to award PSG a penalty was overturned, Elisa De Almeida was penalised for a handball in the box following a VAR review, resulting in her second yellow card of the game and allowing Janssen to score the winning goal from 12-yards.
However, Tommy Stroot‘s side were on the wrong side of a winning penalty at the weekend, as Georgia Stanway dispatched a late spot kick to guide Wolfsburg’s title rivals Bayern Munich to a 1-0 win.
As a result of the defeat, Die Wolfinnen relinquished top spot to Bayern, but they will have to quickly pick themselves up as they bid to protect their first-leg advantage over PSG.
Wolfsburg are unbeaten in the Champions League this season, having won five and drawn two of their seven games in the competition, and another positive result would secure their place in the semi-finals.
PSG bounced back from their first-leg defeat by claiming a narrow 1-0 away victory over Montpellier following Ramona Bachmann’s first-half strike.
Sunday’s victory keeps second-placed PSG within one point of Division 1 Feminine leaders Lyon, keeping them in the hunt for a potential treble.
If they are to keep battling on three fronts then PSG will have to win on Thursday, and they can draw confidence from the fact that they have won the away leg of their last two European quarter-finals.
Having progressed to the semi-finals in six of their seven last appearances, the omens are positive for a PSG side who are hoping to win their first Champions League trophy this season.
PSG have kept clean sheets in each of their last four competitive away games, which will give them the foundation to mount a fightback in the second leg.
Stroot is expected to opt for continuity and name the same Wolfsburg side for a third consecutive game.
Team injury News
Marina Hegering will partner Janssen in central defence, while Kathrin Hendrich and Felicitas Rauch will operate as the two full-backs.
Ewa Pajor is the top scorer in the Champions League this season with seven goals to her name, and she will have the chance to add to her tally when she leads the line.
As for the visitors, Paulina Dudek, Barbora Votikova, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Amanda Ilestedt are expected to miss out through injury.
There are also doubts over Jackie Groenen’s availability after she was forced off in the first half of Sunday’s win over Montpellier.
Marina Georgieva could come into the backline to replace De Almeida, who will serve a one-match suspension after being sent off in the first leg.
Wolfsburg vs PSG women head to head
This will be the fourth meeting between the two sides. Wolfsburg have won the last two classhes, while PSG have one win.
Their first leg defeat ended PSG’s nine-game unbeaten run across competitions.
Seven of PSG’s last eight competitive games, including the last six, have had at least one team fail to score.
Wolfsburg have lost just one of their last 24 home games across competitions, winning 22 games.
PSG have scored more than once in just one of their last five games across competitions.
Wolfsburg vs PSG prediction
Wolfsburg have not lost any of their last six Champions League home matches, and we think that they will utilise home advantage to claim a narrow victory in Thursday’s second leg.