Chelsea v VfL Wolfsburg – Stat Attack | OneFootball

Chelsea return to UEFA Women’s Champions League action on Wednesday when they face German club VfL Wolfsburg in their opening match of the group stage.

The Blues reached the UEFA Women’s Champions League final last season before falling at the final hurdle to FC Barcelona in Gothenburg and they will be aiming to go one better this year.

Ahead of the match, FAWSL Full-Time have been looking at the UEFA statistics surrounding the fixture. Here are four facts which relate to Chelsea’s opening group game against VfL Wolfsburg.

Chelsea ended long wait for victory over VfL Wolfsburg last season

Chelsea had never beaten VfL Wolfsburg in the UEFA Women’s Champions League before last season. The South West Londoners had met The She-Wolves on previous six occasions, losing five and recording just the one draw. Emma Hayes’ side re-wrote the history books in March by beating the Germans in both legs of their quarter-final tie. The Blues won 5-1 on aggregate after recording a 3-0 win in the first leg and 2-1 success in the second leg.

VfL Wolfsburg have real European pedigree

VfL Wolfsburg have been a permanent fixture in the latter stages of the UEFA Women’s Champions League for the last nine years. They have reached at least the quarter-finals every year, winning the tournament in 2013 and 2014 and being runners-up on three occasions. Meanwhile, Chelsea have been semi-finalists or better in their last three campaigns with last season’s meeting with FC Barcelona being the only time that they have reached the final.

Pernille Harder has been a UEFA Women’s Champions League goalscorer for both sides

Danish forward Pernille Harder is the highest UEFA Women’s Champions League goalscorer of the two sides with 30 goals in 38 games. The player netted four European goals for Chelsea last season but her previous 25 goals came in the lime green of VfL Wolfsburg. Harder has been a UEFA Women’s Champions League runner-up with both sides but never a tournament winner.

England is a happy hunting ground for VfL Wolfsburg

VfL Wolfsburg have never lost a UEFA Women’s Champions League tie on English soil. The She-Wolves have played four games in England, winning them all.  The Germans beat Arsenal 2-0 in a semi-final tie at Boreham Wood back in 2013 and they have since defeated Chelsea on three occasions at Wheatsheaf Park (2-1), Stamford Bridge (3-0) and Kingsmeadow (3-1). As a result of COVID restrictions, both of Chelsea’s victories over the Germans in last season’s competition were recorded on neutral territory in Budapest.

The UEFA Women’s Champions League group fixture between Chelsea and VfL Wolfsburg kicks-off at 8pm on Wednesday evening.

Statistics: UEFA Press Kit