Women's Champions League quarter-final second-leg guide
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Article summary
Lyon, Bayern München, Barcelona and Manchester City defend quarter-final leads this week, three of them at home: we have all you need to know about the second legs.
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PREVIEWS
- WEDNESDAY
Lyon (2-0) Wolfsburg
What happened in the first leg?
In a rematch of last year's final, holders Lyon – with Alex Morgan making her European debut – moved a step closer to a joint-record fourth title with second-half goals from the competition's most experienced outfield player, Camilly Abily, and Germany's Dzsenifer Marozsán.
Morgan took the place of last season's competition top scorer Ada Hegerberg, who was then brought on at half-time in a successful tactical switch.
What to watch on Wednesday ...
Two-time champions Wolfsburg have not gone out before the semi-finals in their four previous campaigns, but the suspension for the second leg of Tessa Wullaert on top of injuries to Lena Goessling and competition joint-top scorer Zsanett Jakabfi has made their task even harder against a side that have registered 29 goals in their past four European matches at Stade de Lyon.
Wolfsburg won 3-0 at Duisburg on Sunday to stay within two points of German league leaders Turbine Potsdam, while Lyon defeated Rodez 8-0 to make it 12 straight wins and 55 goals in 2017.
Key fact
The last time Lyon lost at home by a scoreline that would eliminate them on Wednesday was on 9 October 2004, a 4-0 league defeat by Montpellier.
Paris Saint-Germain (0-1) Bayern München
What happened in the first leg?
Bayern's record home crowd of 7,300 celebrated a win against the run of play thanks to Vivianne Miedema, who joined Jakabfi on eight goals in the competition this season.
What to watch on Wednesday ...
Parc des Princes will stage the second leg and Paris will take inspiration from the round of 32 where, trailing LSK Kvinner 3-1 after the opening game, they won 4-1 at Stade Charlety to remain on course to at least match their run to the 2015 final.
Bayern have never reached the semis before and have a lengthy injury list, including Simone Laudehr, Nora Holstad, Melanie Leupolz, Stefanie van der Gragt, Mana Iwabuchi, Anna Gerhardt, Viktoria Schnaderbeck and Sarah Romert. On Sunday both teams won despite a red card, Bayern beating Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 and Paris overcoming Soyaux 2-0.
Key fact
Paris coach Patrice Lair, a two-time winner with Lyon, has masterminded 37 wins in this competition, beaten only by the 43 of former Turbine Potsdam boss Bernd Schröder.
Barcelona (1-0) Rosengård
What happened in the first leg?
Barcelona, seeking a first semi-final appearance, upset the odds in Malmo with a goal from Leila Ouahabi on her 24th birthday. The goal, just before half-time, came with Lotta Schelin off the pitch with a hamstring injury that rules her out of the second leg.
What to watch on Wednesday ...
Rosengård, who minus Schelin travelled to Barcelona on Sunday, have gone out in the quarter-finals four times in the last five seasons, and the Swedish league does not begin until April.
They can take comfort from the quarter-finals a year ago, when they lost the first leg 1-0 at home to FFC Frankfurt but won by the same scoreline in Germany a week later (though Rosengård did then lose on penalties). Barcelona beat Huelva 5-1 at the weekend to move to within two points of Spanish league leaders Atlético Madrid.
Key fact
Rosengård forward Marta begins the match on 46 career European goals, three adrift of ex-club-mate and record holder Anja Mittag, who has mainly featured as a substitute for Wolfsburg this season.
- THURSDAY
Manchester City (0-1) Fortuna Hjørring
What happened in the first leg?
Carli Lloyd scored 36 minutes into her European debut for City, who themselves are on a first campaign in this competition. The visitors, also fielding new signings Abbie McManus and Melissa Lawley (a past semi-finalist with Arsenal and Birmingham City), dominated in Denmark.
What to watch on Thursday ...
Fortuna will have defender Tamires suspended to make their task even harder as they attempt to stop City becoming the first debutants to reach the semi-finals since Tyresö in 2013/14.
City have not lost at home over 90 minutes since a 1-0 league defeat by Arsenal on 19 April 2015 and on Sunday moved into the FA Women's Cup semi-finals, winning 2-1 at Bristol City with a last-gasp Nikita Parris goal.
Key fact
Fortuna won on their only previous competitive trip to England, 5-1 against Arsenal in the 2002/03 semi-finals, to complete an 8-2 aggregate triumph.
- Semi-final draw (22/23 & 29/30 April)
Rosengård/Barcelona v Bayern/Paris
Fortuna/Man. City v Wolfsburg/Lyon
- Final: 1 June, Cardiff City Stadium