Wolfsburg (home)
- Wolfsburg sit second in the Frauen-Bundesliga (37 points from 15 matches) chasing Bayern Munich.
- Wolfsburg have won three from three in the Bundesliga coming into this and thrashed Nürnberg 6-1 away from home in their last league game.
- They have slipped up in Europe, losing to Chelsea (1-0) and Real Madrid (3-1) in the Women’s Champions League.
Juventus (away)
- Juventus are in the top three of Serie A Femminile (22-23 points from 12 games) and involved in a title race.
- Juventus come into this on a much more impressive sequence of form with four wins from their last five competitive matches.
- They secured back-to-back Coppa Italia wins over Napoli and a 4-0 thrashing of Sassuolo in Serie A.
Head-to-Head
- These two sides have met twice in the UWCL group stage of 2021/22, with a 2-2 home draw and a 2-0 away win for Juve.
- That history indicates how close these two teams are.
- Stephan Lerch’s side prefer to play on the front foot, counter-pressing aggressively and dominating the box with their power up front and in the air.
- Juve favour a compact, counter-attacking approach, making this a classic chess match of styles.
- Potential rain and cold in Wolfsburg could make the ball bounce awkwardly and favour teams that win physical duels and set-pieces.
Wolfsburg
- Vivien Endemann’s injury has limited Wolfsburg’s attacking width.
- Alexandra Popp’s presence up front makes Wolfsburg a threat from set-pieces and in the air.
- Svenja Huth provides the spark that can unlock a defence or produce a goal from a small area.
- Lineth Beerensteyn ranks among their top scorers in the UWCL this season and consistently creates chances.
Juventus
- Juve have a full-strength squad and in-form Girelli, who is looking for her 30th UEFA club goal.
- Chiara Beccari’s recent hat-trick against Sassuolo gives Juve a goal-poacher’s edge.
- They also have other options capable of troubling Wolfsburg’s defence.
Betting Insights
- Bookmakers list Wolfsburg at 1.51 and Juve at 5.7 ahead of the opening leg in Germany.
- The Over 2.5 goals market is priced around 1.42, which looks short for a likely tight, tactical tie.
Prediction
- This first leg is expected to be tight and cagey, with set-pieces and counter-attacks the likeliest routes to goal.
- Wolfsburg are slight favourites given home-field advantage and European pedigree.
- Juventus, in better domestic form and with a clinical striker, can steal a draw to take back to Turin.
