Arsenal will face VfL Wolfsburg at the Volkswagen Arena on Sunday, as Jonas Eidevall’s side look to secure a result in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinal. They’ll welcome the German side back to the Emirates Stadium on Monday, 1 May – but keeping the scoreline in their favour ahead of that fixture will be crucial.
The Gunners trailed Bayern Munich in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie, though a spirited performance at the Emirates saw them progress as 2-1 winners on aggregate. VfL Wolfsburg picked up a win in the French capital during their first leg, and topped it off with a 1-1 draw back in Germany to eliminate PSG and seal a spot in the final four.
Wolfsburg will pose an entirely different threat to Arsenal though – as they demolished Bayern Munich 5-0 in Die Liga! The German side are arguably favourites to progress, especially given the injury crisis that Arsenal current face.
Team News
The big news is that Arsenal will be without Leah Williamson for the rest of the season, after the England captain ruptured her ACL in the Gunners’ loss to Manchester United in midweek. They’ll also be without Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema for the same reason. Kim Little will sit this game out too following an injury sustained in their last UWCL game at the Emirates. Caitlin Foord remains a doubt.
For Wolfsburg, Lena Lattwein recently sustained a collarbone fracture, and isn’t likely to feature in the first leg. Alex Popp is also set to miss out, having been sidelined for the last two games with an ankle injury.
Predicted Lineups
VfL Wolfsburg: Frohms; Rauch, Janssen, Hendrich, Wilms; Brand, Oberdorf; Jonsdottir, Roord, Huth; Pajor
Arsenal: Zinsberger; Wubben-Moy, Beattie, Rafaelle, Maritz; Wälti, Maanum, Catley; Pelova, Blackstenius, McCabe
Where can I watch?
Kickoff at the Volkswagen Arena is 2:30pm UK time on Sunday, 23 April 2023. The game will be shown live on DAZN – and will be free to watch on their YouTube channel. Coverage will be available in both English and German, starting at 12:20pm.
