Frankfurt v Paris: Beginners' guide
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
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New to women's football? UEFA.com gives you the key pass notes for 1. FFC Frankfurt and Paris Saint-Germain ahead of Thursday's UEFA Women's Champions League final.
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On Thursday, 1. FFC Frankfurt and Paris Saint-Germain go head to head for the UEFA Women's Champions League title in Berlin. For those new to women's football, UEFA.com introduces the contenders and picks out some players to watch.
Competition record
Frankfurt
• Won record three titles, in record sixth final.
Paris
• Never been beyond round of 16 before.
Country record
Frankfurt
• German clubs have won eight of this competition's 13 editions and their national team have been reigning European champions since 1995 as well as lifting two FIFA Women's World Cups.
Paris
• One French side, Lyon, reached four finals between 2010 and 2013, winning and losing two. France have never won a major tournament but got to the 2011 Women's World Cup and 2012 Olympic semi-finals.
Road to Berlin
Frankfurt
• Scored 40 goals in their eight games.
Paris
• Knocked out Lyon and VfL Wolfsburg, who have won the last four editions between them.
Domestic form
Frankfurt
• A 1-1 draw with Wolfsburg on Sunday meant they finished third, and need to win on Thursday to earn another European campaign.
Paris
• Finished second behind Lyon in the league to ensure a return to Europe next season.
Star striker
Frankfurt
• Célia Šašić: one goal away from equalling the record of 14 goals in a single European campaign.
• Marie-Laure Delie: only two goals in Europe but averages more than one per game in all matches since rejoining Paris in 2013.
Stalwart skipper
Frankfurt
• Kerstin Garefrekes, part of their winning team in 2006 and 2008.
Paris
• Sabrina Delannoy, at the club for seven years before they turned professional in 2012.
Past winners in squad
Frankfurt
• Kerstin Garefrekes, Saskia Bartusiak, Svenja Huth, Bianca Schmidt, Desirée Schumann
Paris
• Josephine Henning, Fatmire Alushi, Laura Georges, Shirley Cruz Traña, Aurélie Kaci, Linda Bresonik, Annike Krahn
Missing in action
Frankfurt
• Jessica Fishlock, the energetic Wales midfielder returned to parent side Seattle Reign FC after the quarter-finals.
Paris
• Caroline Seger, the talented Sweden midfielder is suspended.
The coaches
Frankfurt
• Colin Bell, the first Englishman to coach in a UEFA Champions League final for men or women.
Paris
• Farid Benstiti, the man that made Lyon a top-class force, though he lost his only European final in 2010 before his departure.