Women's Champions League semi-final preview
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Article summary
The semi-final first legs are played this weekend with holders VfL Wolfsburg welcoming Paris Saint-Germain and three-time winners 1. FFC Frankfurt facing Brøndby IF.
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The UEFA Women's Champions League semi-final first legs are played this weekend in Germany, where the tournament will conclude on Thursday 14 May. UEFA.com previews the ties.
ROAD TO BERLIN
Semi-finals
VfL Wolfsburg (GER, holders) v Paris Saint-Germain (FRA): 18 & 26 April
1. FFC Frankfurt (GER) v Brøndby IF (DEN): 19 & 25 April
Final (Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, Berlin): 18.00CET, 14 May
Winner semi-final 2 v Winner semi-final 1 – ticket sales
Wolfsburg
Semi-final record: W2 L0
Domestic position: First
Weekend result: W4-0 v USV Jena (a, league)
Wednesday result: W10-0 v Herforder SV (h, league)
Paris
First semi-final
Domestic position: Second
Weekend result: no game played
Match facts
• Wolfsburg, chasing a third straight continental title, knocked out FC Rosengård on away goals with two draws in the quarter-finals to maintain their record of never losing a European game.
• Wolfsburg's only previous meeting with French opposition was their 1-0 defeat of Olympique Lyonnais in the 2013 final at Stamford Bridge.
• Paris's Laura Georges played for Lyon in that match.
• Paris can still become the first club to win the men's and women's UEFA Champions Leagues in the same season.
Domestic
• Alex Popp scored twice as Wolfsburg reclaimed the league lead off FC Bayern München on Sunday with three games to go. On Wednesday they extended their lead in some style against bottom side Herforder SV, Popp again getting two.
• Paris will definitely finish second behind Lyon in France and return to Europe next season.
Frankfurt
Semi-final record: W5 L1
Domestic position: Second
Weekend result: W2-1 v Bayer 04 Leverkusen (a, league)
Wednesday result: W4-2 v SC Freiburg (a, league)
Brøndby
Semi-final record: W0 L2
Domestic position: Second
Weekend result: L0-1 v IK Skovbakken (h, league)
Wednesday result: W1-0 v Odense BK (h, cup semi-final first leg)
Match facts
• This is the first competitive encounter between two teams who rank in the top four for UEFA women's club games played (Frankfurt joint second on 67, Brøndby fourth on 62).
• A Frankfurt victory would be their 47th in Europe, moving them one ahead of the record they share with Lyon.
• Frankfurt, pursuing a record fourth title, have equalled Umeå IK's feat of reaching seven semi-finals.
• Brøndby's previous semi-finals were in 2002/03 (lost to Umeå, who then beat Frankfurt in the final) and 2006/07 (lost to Arsenal LFC).
Domestic
• Frankfurt's wins on Sunday and Wednesday kept them within two points of Wolfsburg and moved them ahead of Bayern (who have a game in hand this weekend).
• Brøndby's loss on Sunday came in the first round of the championship group of the Danish league and allowed Fortuna Hjørring to overtake them. In the regular season Brøndby won 17 and drew one of 18 fixtures.