Women's Champions League preview: Juventus vs Wolfsburg

Juventus welcome Group A leaders, and two-time UEFA Women's Champions League winners, Wolfsburg to Turin aiming to get their campaign back on track after a narrow home defeat by Chelsea last time out.

• Joe Montemurro's Bianconere matched last season's runners-up for most of the contest, with Barbara Bonansea's 37th-minute volley cancelling out Erin Cuthbert's opener. The hosts, cheered on by 16,871 spectators – a national record in UEFA women's club football and the highest attendance for a match in this competition ahead of the quarter-finals – were unable to build on that equaliser after the break and Pernille Harder scored what proved to be the winner midway through the second half.

• Wolfsburg – the joint top scorers with Lyon across the opening two matchdays with eight goals – secured their first victory in the section on Matchday 2, beating bottom side Servette 5-0. Skipper Svenja Huth opened the scoring after 18 minutes before Tabea Wassmuth added a further two before half-time (26, 43). Dominique Janssen (51) and substitute Joëlle Smits (68) ensured Die Wölfinnen equalled the biggest margin of victory so far in this inaugural group stage.

• Juventus will be hoping to recapture their Matchday 1 form, when they recorded a 3-0 away success in Switzerland, whilst Wolfsburg were denied victory in added time against Chelsea in London, the Blues clawing their way back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3.

Ones to watch: Juventus

Lisa Boattin
• The 24-year-old has assisted two goals in this group stage campaign, including the lofted pass for Bonansea's volley against Chelsea on Matchday 2 – only Wolfsburg's Lena Oberdorf (thre) has provided more so far.

• The defender is one of three Juventus players to start all six of their UEFA Women's Champions League matches this term, including qualifying, and has played the most minutes of any Bianconere outfield player in the competition in 2021/22.

• Boattin was a mainstay of Juventus' Serie A title success last season and was the only player to start all 22 league matches in 2020/21.

• The Italian international made three appearances for the Azzurre as they reached the quarter-finals of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup; she was one of eight Juventus players in the squad for the tournament.

Barbara Bonansea
• The 30-year-old made it four goals in this season's UEFA Women's Champions League this season, including qualifying, with her fine finish against Chelsea on Matchday 2.

• The forward struck twice on her first appearance for Juventus in this tournament, scoring both in a 2-2 first-leg draw against Brøndby in the round of 32 back in September 2018.

• The Bonansea ended 2018/19 as the Bianconere's joint top scorer with Eni Aluko on 16 goals in all competitions, as they secured the league and cup double.

• The Italian international scored twice as the Azzurre fought back from going a goal behind to shock Australia in the group stage of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Cristiana Girelli
• The 31-year-old, who started against Chelsea on 13 October having been an unused substitute on Matchday 1, was part of the Brescia side eliminated 6-0 on aggregate by Wolfsburg in the 2015/16 UEFA Women's Champions League quarter-finals.

• The forward, who was the first Juventus player to reach 50 goals for the club in all competitions, has finished as top scorer in each of the last two Serie A campaigns, with 16 strikes in 2019/20 and 22 last term.

• Girelli, in her fourth season with the Bianconere, scored four goals in as many appearances in qualifying for this inaugural group stage.

• The Italian international has reached double figures for goals in the Italian top flight in each of her last nine seasons stretching back to 2012.

Ones to watch: Wolfsburg

Lena Oberdorf
• The 19-year-old has created three goals in the inaugural UEFA Women's Champions League group stage so far, more than any other player. Her assist in the Matchday 2 success against Servette added to the two she had laid on in Die Wölfinnen's 3-3 draw at Chelsea.

• The midfielder is in her second campaign with Wolfsburg, having joined from first club Essen in 2020, and was part of the side that lifted the DFB-Pokal Frauen last season.

• Oberdorf hit 12 goals in all competitions in 2020/21, with only Zsanett Jakabfi (17) scoring more for the She-Wolves last term.

• Named best player as Germany won the UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship in 2017, converting her penalty in the 3-1 shoot-out win following the 0-0 showpiece draw against Spain.

Svenja Huth
• The 30-year-old, a winner of this competition with FFC Frankfurt in 2014/15, scored only her second goal in this competition against Servette.

• The attacker is in her third season with the She-Wolves after joining from Potsdam in the summer of 2019.

• Huth made her Frauen-Bundesliga debut in 2007/08 after coming through the ranks at Frankfurt, who went on to lift the league title that season.

• The Germany international has won honours for her country at both Under-17 and Under-20 levels, and was also part of the nation's squad for their 2013 UEFA Women's EURO success.

Tabea Wassmuth
• The 25-year-old is the leading scorer in this UEFA Women's Champions League group stage with four goals having struck twice in both matchdays so far – from just six attempts on target.

• The attacking midfielder opened her Wolfsburg account in her sixth appearance in the 2-2 league draw at Freiburg on 2 October, before her double against Chelsea.

• Wassmuth came through the youth ranks at Hoffenheim before joining Die Wölfinnen ahead of this campaign, with the deal announced in January of this year.

• The Germany international, who made her senior debut in September 2020, completed a master's degree in psychology before signing for her current club.

Key stats

• Defeat by Chelsea on Matchday 2 ended Juve's run of five successive victories in this season's competition.

• The Turin outfit have only failed to score in one of their last nine UEFA Women's Champions League matches.

• Juventus have scored at least one first-half goal in their six European matches this season.

• Wolfsburg are without a win in their last four UEFA Women's Champions League matches outside of Wolfsburg (D1 L3).

• The German club have won three and drawn one of their previous four matches against Italian clubs in the UEFA Women's Champions League.

• Wolfsburg have won each of their previous two away matches against Italian clubs in the UEFA Women's Champions League, 3-0 at Brescia in 2016 and 4-0 at Fiorentina in 2017.

• In each of their previous four matches against Italian clubs in the UEFA Women's Champions League, Wolfsburg have scored three or more goals.

• There has been a total of 21 goals in Wolfsburg's four European matches this season, Wolfsburg scoring 13 of them.