Roma vs Wolfsburg match facts

UEFA Women's Champions League debutants Roma face their toughest assignment yet in the competition as they play host at the Stadio Comunale Domenico Francioni to German title holders and two-time European champions Wolfsburg.

Both teams have six points from their opening two matches. Roma beat Slavia Praha 1-0 at home before staging a remarkable 4-3 comeback win away to St Pölten; Wolfsburg kept clean sheets in overcoming first their Austrian counterparts, 4-0 at home, then the Czech champions, 2-0 in Prague.

Roma, who finished runners-up in Serie A Femminile last season five points behind champions Juventus, are in the UEFA Women's Champions League group stage at the first time of asking. They overcame Scottish outfit Glasgow City 3-1 in their first ever European tie and beat Paris FC on penalties after a 0-0 draw in Round 1, before seeing off Sparta Praha with a couple of comeback wins in Round 2 (2-1 a, 4-1 h).

Wolfsburg, who are seeking their first UEFA Women's Champions League title since back-to-back triumphs in 2013 and 2014 and have never failed to make it through to at least the quarter-finals in all ten appearances over the past decade, reached last season's semi-final, where they bowed out to holders Barcelona (1-5 a, 2-0 h).

The She-Wolves reclaimed the German domestic crown last season from nearest challengers Bayern München to make it five Frauen-Bundesliga titles in six campaigns and seven overall, equalling 1. FFC Frankfurt's record.

While Wolfsburg eased to a 2-0 win at Slavia last time out with goals from Jule Brand and – with her third of the group – Ewa Pajor, Roma were trailing 2-0 at St Pölten in the 75th-minute before a stunning four-goal burst in 12 minutes turned the match on its head, Elena Linari, Valentina Giacinti, Manuel Giugliano and Paloma Lázaro all finding the net in what ended up as a remarkable 4-3 victory for Alessandro Spugna’s side.

Players to watch

Valentina Giacinti

The 28-year-old Italy striker is enjoying a prolific 2022/23 season in both domestic and international competition, reaching double figures for club and country with her equalising goal against St Pölten on Matchday 2.

That was her second goal in as many Group B games, the Roma No9 having also scored the winner in the opening 1-0 victory at home to Slavia Praha.

She joined Roma in the summer from AC Milan, for whom she played in last season's UEFA Women's Champions League, scoring twice on her European debut for the club in a 2-1 qualifying win against FC Zürich.

Giacinti has been an Italy international since 2015, earning over 50 caps and representing her country at both the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup – where she scored in a 2-0 round of 16 win against China – and UEFA Women's EURO 2022.

She has been the top scorer in Serie A Femminile with three different clubs, hitting 32 goals for Mozzanica in 2015/16, 21 for Brescia in 2017/18 and 21 for Milan in 2018/19.

Lena Oberdorf

The 20-year-old holding midfielder was one of the stars of UEFA Women's EURO 2022, helping Germany finish runners-up, winning the Young Player of the Tournament award and also being selected into the Team of the Tournament.

Having been voted Player of the Tournament as Germany won the 2017 UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship in Czechia, she was called up to the senior squad at the 2019 Women's World Cup in France, becoming at 17 the country's youngest ever World Cup finals participant.

At club level Oberdorf started out at Bundesliga level with SGS Essen before joining Wolfsburg on a three-year contract in 2020, making a substitute appearance in the delayed 2020 UEFA Women's Champions League final defeat against Lyon shortly after her arrival.

She won the German Cup in her first season with Wolfsburg and a domestic double in her second, also helping the team reach the UEFA Women's Champions League semi-finals in 2021/22.

She made her 16th UEFA Women's Champions League appearance on Matchday 2 against Slavia Praha, her only goal in the competition having come in a 5-0 win away to Spartak Subotica in the 2020/21 round of 32 first leg.

Key facts

Roma are unbeaten in their first six European matches, winning five, including the last four, and prevailing in the other on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

The three goals the Giallorosse conceded on Matchday 2 equalled the number they had shipped in their first five European outings combined.

Wolfsburg have won their last four UEFA Women's Champions League group stage matches without conceding a goal.

The German club have lost only two of their last 12 UEFA Women's Champions League matches (W7 D3).

Die Wölfinnen have yet to lose an away fixture in the competition's group stage (W2 D2).

Wolfsburg have kept six clean sheets in their last eight UEFA Women's Champions League matches.

The She-Wolves have only failed to score in two of their last 43 European games and have found the net in their last 20 UEFA Women's Champions League away fixtures.