FC Bayern Women host Wolfsburg in a DFB Cup semi-final cracker at a sold-out FC Bayern Campus at 14:00 CEST on Saturday. A place in the final in Cologne on 18 May is on the line. Here’s all you need to know about the game in our preview.
State of play
It’s exactly three weeks since Germany’s two top sides last met in the Bundesliga. Bayern claimed a 1-0 victory in a hard-fought match to overtake the Wolves at the top of the table.
Sarah Zadrazil in the recent league encounter with Wolfsburg.
Wolfsburg have reached the semi-finals of the DFB Cup thanks to three big wins over Gütersloh, Nürnberg and Köln. Bayern have also been impressive up to this point with 7-0 victories against Ingolstadt and Duisburg, before Alexander Straus’ side won 2-0 against Hoffenheim in the quarter-finals.
Opponent
Die Frauen face a tough task in the final four against Wolfsburg, who have dominated the cup in recent years and won it every season since 2015. Bayern want to put a stop to that run on Saturday and end the Wolves’ dream of a ninth consecutive DFB Cup title. Tommy Stroot’s side beat Köln 4-0 in the previous round to take their cup tally for the campaign to 18 goals.
Match facts
Bayern and Wolfsburg have met 54 times before in competitive fixtures. The record to date from an FCB perspective is 14 wins, 15 draws and 25 defeats. The most recent meeting saw Bayern claim a 1-0 victory at home in the Bundesliga on 25 March.
Player update
Linda Dallmann (ankle) and Giulia Gwinn (cruciate ligament) remain on the sidelines with long-term injuries. Franziska Kett also suffered a shoulder injury during the international break and will be out for the rest of the season. Tainara and Carolin Simon have been able to re-join training again after respective ankle and muscular problems, but may not be ready in time for this semi-final.
Hear from Sydney Lohmann and Alexander Straus at Thursday’s press conference:
Pre-match quotes
Alexander Straus: “This game will be even more demanding. We have to play in a clearer way than in our recent win against Wolfsburg. They’ll obviously change a few things – just like we will. It’s the semi-final of the DFB Cup and so will be tough. We have to perform better than in our last outing. That’s our goal.“
Sydney Lohmann: “Wolfsburg will change some things compared to the league game. We definitely played well, but things certainly didn’t quite work out for them. We know Wolfsburg. I think they feel goaded and won’t let it lie. The past has shown that this is definitely their title, having won it so often. So, they’ll play with confidence. The cards have been shuffled again and it’ll be very difficult and heated from the start.”
Mala Grohs: “We’re expecting a hard game. We’ll be really challenged. We just faced them recently in the league, so we know each other well and both teams will have looked at that. Wolfsburg in particular need to think about things. They definitely want revenge, and we want to show it wasn’t just a lucky day but that it’s simply our form right now.”
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