Women’s Football – UEFA Champions League: Chelsea and Sam Kerr is too strong for Wolfsburg

Frustrating: The last big surprise from Wolfsburg’s point of view came in the 29th minute. Striker Iowa Bajaur had just hit the post but did not shoot the ball in the direction of Aluminum. She kicked the pole of the gate with her foot. Out of frustration. Not long ago, the Wolfsburg-based woman had missed an occasional, one of very few dangerous VFL chances against Chelsea in Budapest (yes, the Women’s Champions League discovered the Hungarian capital also as an international venue for the coronavirus).

Match result: Last year VfL was in the Champions League Final. This season in the quarter-finals already. The first leg against Chelsea a week ago, Wolfsburg lost but dominated. But in the second leg, the English were unstoppable – and Wolfsburg had no chance: 0: 3 (0: 2) was the final score. England’s leaders have now reached the semi-finals, which will take place on April 24 and May 1. It then goes against the winning team of the match between Bayern Munich and FC Rosengard (First leg: 3-0).

the beginning: Wolfsburg were the most active team, but they didn’t risk much after the first leg – a 1-0 win was enough for them to advance. For the first time, a cross pass in the 11th minute increased the pulse, but Chelsea goalkeeper Anne Catherine Berger got the ball up with his finger and defused the stance. Then Chelsea found the gap when VFL came too far.

Duel game: A long ball in the direction of Sam Kerr embarrassed the VfL defense. Kerr walked in, and when Sarah Dorson hit her lightly in the groin, the Australian fell – there was a penalty kick that Burnell Harder converted (minute 27). Just four minutes later, there was another duel between Dorson and Kerr, a VFL defender introduced Kerr, but the 27-year-old blocked the ball and used her body aggressively, Kerr turned towards goal and scored 2-0. Great attacking goal.

Game player: It is often talked about an outstanding striker, Harder, and her partner in attack, Kerr, may be just as good. It’s tough in the penalty area. Kerr scored in the first leg, scored a hat-trick in the FA Cup Final two weeks ago, and is now fantastic again. Samantha Kerr can play big games.

Great Power England: And the fact that in addition to Kerr – who has been wearing the jersey since 2020 – Chelsea could afford a second player like this in attack, Harder, also speaks to the financial potential of the Premier League. “England is on its way to leave us behind,” said Stefan Learch in a Spiegel interview before the match. In Australia, Kerr is said to have raised $ 400,000 per season, which lasts only four months, and played the remainder of the year in the US. The League paid the salary in Australia to keep Kerr, who is hugely popular in their home country, in the National League.

Miss the game: This was Lena Oberdorf, who was absent due to the yellow card suspension. The 19-year-old came to Wolfsburg in the summer and is considered one of the greatest talents in world football – and now a fixture in VfL, she is punching holes in it, and VfL could have used it. In the 81st minute, Francesca Kirby made it 3-0, and the Chelsea striker scored a third that afternoon.

DFB applicant: Chelsea goalkeeper Berger has played a strong season in 13 Premier League matches, not conceding nine times. How good the 30-year-old became was especially evident in the first leg, when VFL failed multiple times against the German goalkeeper. Berger has only made one international match, but her good performance did not go unnoticed by national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, Berger in the next international squad on 10 and 13 April. Then the rivals will be Norway and Australia – for German national players from VfL, including Dorson, it will be a reunion with Kerr.

Outlook: Since the 2012/2013 triple season, VfL has won at least one cup per season. Now the Champions League title is no longer possible, and on Easter Sunday there will be a duel against Bayern Munich in the DFB Cup semi-final (2pm). The Munich women are playing a great season and are top of the Bundesliga before VfL. Last year under the successful coach Lerch, Wolfsburg was threatened with a title-less season.