Glasgow City vs Wolfsburg preview: expert view, team news, form guide

Only Lyon have knocked out two-time UEFA Women's Champions League winners Wolfsburg in the last four years and Glasgow City will have to upset the odds in San Sebastián on Friday to break that run.

Wolfsburg completed a German double when their season resumed between May and early July, while Glasgow have not played since February. Both teams are bolstered by strong recent signings, but Glasgow, who have already equalled their and Scotland's best run, have suffered four previous exits against German clubs.

Meet the teams

Glasgow City
UEFA ranking: 19
This season: P4 W3 D0 L1 F7 A3

How they got here: Chertanovo 5-1agg (r32), Brøndby 2-2agg, 3-1pens (r16)
Last five games: LWWLD
Top scorer: Hayley Lauder (3)
Last season: Round of 16
European best: Quarter-finals (2014/15, 2019/20)

Wolfsburg
UEFA ranking: 2
This season: P4 W4 D0 L0 F22 A0
How they got here: Mitrovica 15-0agg (r32), Twente 7-0agg (r16)
Last five games: DWDWW
Top scorer: Pernille Harder (5)
Last season: Quarter-finals
European best: Winners (2012/13, 2013/14)

Player guide

Leanne RossUEFA/UEFA via Getty Image

Glasgow City
Out: none
Would miss semi-final if booked: Rachel McLauchlan, Clare Shine

• There have been several squad changes in the six months without a competitive game, most notably the arrival of South Africa captain and defender Janine van Wyk, full-back Zaneta Wyne and striker Krystyna Freda, who has 12 goals in eight games in this competition over the last two seasons for clubs in Cyprus.
• Scotland goalkeeper Lee Alexander saved three Brøndby penalties in the round of 16 shoot-out.
• Midfielder Leanne Ross has more than 250 goals and has won 13 straight league titles at the club.

Wolfsburg

Out: Almuth Schult (unavailable)
Would miss semi-final if booked: Anna Blässe

• Bolstered by four key arrivals in prolific forward Pauline Bremer, former Bayern defender Kathrin Hendrich, ex-Paris goalkeeper Katarzyna Kiedrzynek and one of German's brightest young prospects, Lena Oberdorf. Keeper Hedvig Lindahl, defender Noëlle Maritz and midfielder Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir are among the departures.
• Forward partners Pauline Bremer and Ewa Pajor boast support from Alex Popp, a UEFA Women's Champions League winner with Wolfsburg in 2013 and 2014 as well as a UEFA Women's Cup champion at Duisburg in 2009. Zsanett Jakabfi also has a good scoring record in Europe.
• Hendrich bolsters a defence that can include Netherlands player Dominique Janssen at left-back, also one to watch on free-kicks.

Expert view: Annike Krahn, 2009 winner with Duisburg

Given their experience at this level, Wolfsburg go into their quarter-final as clear favourites. Glasgow are going to need to keep it tight and try to hit them on the break. It may well be that Pernille Harder and Co. have to go the full 90 or even 120 minutes to break them down. New signing Janine van Wyk will be a calming influence at the back. Wolfsburg had a far shorter break during the Covid crisis so they've had more time to prepare, but now they need to show whether the new faces have integrated sufficiently. I'm looking forward to an exciting game and under normal circumstances Wolfsburg should come out on top.

What the coaches say

Stephan Lerch, Wolfsburg: "It makes it very exciting, this format. You have to be ready from the first minute; you don't have a second chance. Maybe for the underdogs it's a chance, if there are any at this stage, with the help of some luck to land a surprise. We are aware of that and want to avoid that. It's a new experience for us."

Scott Booth, Glasgow City: "I would rate [Wolfsburg] right up there, especially as an offensive team. That is their biggest threat; they have so many players from middle to front who can hurt you in so many different ways. They've got experience and have so many strengths that it's difficult to plan to defend against them. But you have to look at both sides of it and we don't just want to defend. It's a one-off game over 90 minutes; it gives us the opportunity to put them on the back-foot."

What's next?

The winners will take on Atlético Madrid or Barcelona in the semi-finals in San Sebastián on Tuesday.