Barcelona vs Wolfsburg, summary: Rolfö, score, goals & highlights | Women’s Champions League final 22/23
Barcelona vs Wolfsburg: as it happened
Yves Herman / Reuters
Signing off...
I'll leave you with this image.
Thank you to everyone who followed today's coverage of the game, you can all have a virtual hug.
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Joe
Here's how Sofascore saw the game:
Again, lots of Barça dominance, they deserved it in the end.
ALEXIA LIFTS THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
The celebrations have begun!
Here's how Opta saw the game:
The numbers highlight Barça's dominance throughout, and their lack of a scoring touch in the first half.
When you score that winning goal...
Barça claimed their second Champions League with a goal from Rolfö that sealed the comeback.
Full-time report:
Tears from both sides after what was an incredible game from start to finish.
Barcelona came back from two goals down to win 3-2 against a Wolfsburg side that had taken control of the game and had one hand on the trophy.
What Jonatan Giráldez said to the players at half-time must be question number one after the game, as Barça came flying out of the blocks and after 5 minutes they were already level with two goals from Patri.
Their dominance continued and Rolfö got the winner on 70 minutes after great work from Geyse and Mariona to set up the full-back, and from then on Barça controlled the game with calm and precise possession.
FULL TIME!!
BARCELONA WIN THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!!!
PAÑOS SAVES!
Wolfsburg have a corner! The goalkeeper is up for it.
Bronze clears the ball as Jonsdottir is almost allowed in...
We're still playing.... no sign of full-time...
The Barça players are waiting on the bench like racehorses, ready to burst onto the pitch.
Paños collects the ball and drops to the floor.
We are into the final minute of the game, although I imagine some more time will be added on.
Popp and Patri are both down. The clock ticks on...
HUGE CHANCE FOR BARCELONA
Geyse wastes a chance to win the game after she tries to go all alone intead of playing across the box to Pina, who was on her own and has every right to be furious!
Paredes has just been booked. The referee is reading this coverage.
Popp is booked... but it looked like it was actually Paredes who elbowed her.
Irene Paredes goes down and there's a bit of angry pushing between a few players...
Barça break with Pina who plays to Geyse and Barça, having made up the room and moved away from goal, go back into their possession plan to force the clock to tick down.
Oberdorf goes down in the box and the German side want a penalty... not given.
Seven added minutes.
That is why the crowd were cheering earlier - Giráldez had called the Ballon d'Or player back to the bench.
Alexia and Engen ON
Aitana and Walsh OFF
A huge intake of breath from the crowd can be heard as the ball flies past Paños' goal.
Barcelona are trying their best to see the game out, despite the waves of pressure from Wolfsburg.
Back underway. Bronze is OK, as is Popp.
The stadium has just erupted in noise... any guesses why?
Popp and Bronze are down...
Bremer and Hegering ON
Wilms and Pajor
Pina wins the ball back in the attacking half and Wilms has no other option but to bring her to the ground.
We're back underway. Wolfsburg are ready to make changes.
Frohms is down injured, giving time for both teams to scramble over to the technical areas to receive their final instructions.
Pina and Crnogorcevic ON
Hansen and Mariona OFF
Patri heads over from a Mapi León free-kick as Barça continue to ramp up the pressure.
Aitana shoots at Frohms!
But that was all Geyse: she fought off various challenges from Hendrich as the ball was played to her feet before spinning past the defender and playing a delightful pass to Aitana on the edge of the box.
We've got fifteen minutes to go in the game.
Barça, you won't be surprised to hear, are content with keeping the ball.
Back underway. Wolfsburg need a miracle.
Barcelona, for now, have done it; they have managed to turn the game around and without Alexia on the pitch.
The fans are on their feet and the Philips Stadion is rocking!
Geyse's first touch was a cross to Mariona, who could not find her feet to shoot. The ball fell awkwardly in the middle of the box and all Mariona could do was tap it left to Rolfo, who smacked a shot past Frohms in the middle of a huge scramble!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL
ROLFO SCORES FOR BARCELONAAAAAA
Geyse ON
Salma OFF
See the previous comment, the attack was identical.
AND ANOTHER SAVE FROM PAÑOS!
PAJOR AGAIN!
Sandra Paños gets down well to collect a shot from the left by Pajor.
Barça lost the ball in the middle third and Wolfsburg let loose, attacking in huge numbers, and it was the Polish forward who had the final touch of the move.
Aitana's touch is poor and she sees the ball roll away from her boot and land at the feet of Jónsdóttir, who then goes on to loose possession herself. Nerves, anyone?
Nothing given by the Welsh referee. In other news, it looks like Geyse is coming on for Barcelona.
Popp goes down in the box and the German side want a penalty...
A series of loose passes in the middle third for both teams ends with Wolfsburg attacking 3vs2, but Mapi León's positioning was excellent to stop the threat from getting anywhere close to Sandra Paños in goal.
Wolfsburg are slowly working the ball around the back as Barcelona sit off in a 4-4-2 and wait for their moment to attack...
Hendrich slides in to stop Patri getting on the end of a through ball in the left channel and the ball rolls out for a corner. Barça have all the momentum as things stand and Wolfsburg look nervous in defence.
Popp tries a shot from distance that is blocked and Hansen breaks away with Salma on the left. Bronze gets the ball and hits a cross towards Salma who made a run away from her marker but the ball is cleared.
Barça battle back with a long spell of possession of their own: all of a sudden their passing looks a lot more zingy and fresh. Like a box of new oranges.
As you might expect, Barça have all the momentum in the game right now, and Wolfsburg are trying to lower their levels of adrenaline with some sustained possession.
Wolfsburg try to gain some ground on the pitch and launch their own attack, but they look shellshocked and the ball rolls out of play.
Hansen has all the space in the world on the right and her cross is cleared by Janssen at the last second, right before Salma can get a foot on the ball.
And they nearly get a third!
The ball came floating over from the right and Patri jumped highest to get a head to the cross and fire it into the net!
WHAT A START TO THE SECOND HALF!
THE STADIUM ERUPTS AND THE BARÇA BENCH GOES CRAZY
SALMA FIRES OVER!
Barça are turning on the style!
Hansen, as always, weaves her magic wand down the right, skipping past various challenges before playing a low ball to Patri on the penalty spot who sweeps home!
Popp is down after a challenge from Paredes.
Mariona fires a central shot at Frohms that is easily saved.
Barça get inside the box but their passing still seems slow to me...
A fabulous challenge from Oberdorf stops Salma from getting behind the German defence as Barça start off strongly.
And we're off!
The second half is underway!
Alexia, Geyse and Crnogorcevic continue to warm up. No changes at the break.
Here come the players for the second half!
Half-time stats that tell a story:
Barça: 15 shots, 0 Goals
Wolfsburg: 3 shots, 2 Goals
Well, well, well...
What a half of football.
Wolfsburg have been ruthless and have punished Barça for blinking twice in 45 minutes.
The first goal came extremely early on, with Lucy Bronze running into trouble and allowing Pajor the chance to find enough space on the edge of the box to fire a rocket into the top corner.
The second goal came after a huge number of Barcelona chances went begging: time and time again the Catalan side have found space on the wing for Salma, Hansen or Rolfö, but they have not been able to take advantage, with a lot of sloppy passes into and around the box.
Wolfsburg broke away after one of the many missed chances for Barça and an early cross from Pajor was met by Popp who, well, popped the ball past Paños to make it two.
Half-time!
That's all for now!
The Barça forward was slipped in by Bronze as Wolfsburg had edged further back into their own box. The goalkeeper ran out to stop the striker from making contact with the ball, halting a certain goal.
WHAT A CHANCE FOR SALMA
2 added minutes.
We're into the final minute of normal time in the first half as Barça continue to push for a goal that would change the game completely.
Geyse and Alexia are warming up...
Jónsdóttir broke down the right and Mapi León chased her all the way back.
The Icelandic forward didn't see Pajor on her own in the box and gave Mapi enough time to get back and slide in at the last second.
MAPI LEON SAVES BARÇA
We're back underway...
There's a long way to go yet but Barcelona have been punished for tiny errors.
They are wasting too many chances and arrivals on goal and they need to make the final pass count.
Meanwhile, Alexia looks visibly worried on the bench. She's not a bad substitute to bring on...
Popp peeled away from Irene Paredes as the ball was floated in by Pajor from the left and the header was downward and hit perfectly past Paños!
POPP SCORES A HEADER FROM CLOSE RANGE
Mapi León got down the left and played a delightful cross towards goal. Hansen, just yards out, got a touch on the ball but it inexplicably flew behind her and away from goal. An incredibly strange touch...
CHANCE FOR BARCELONA
Aitana gets a booking for a challenge in the middle of the park... frustration is getting to everyone, especially the manager, who has not sat down once since the first whistle.
Irene Paredes does well to get in front of Popp as the ball is sent behind the Barça defence. Another warning.
Half an hour gone and, despite the chances, Wolfsburg are managing the game very well.
I'd even go so far as to say that they could step up another gear and cause Barça problems without much effort, as the passing just feels off from the Catalan side.
Patri attempts a ludicrous effort from the centre circle that is caught by Frohms without any problems.
Hansen weaves past two challenges on the right and plays to Aitana, whotakes one touch too many before firing a shot at Janssen, who blocks.
CHANCE FOR BARÇA!
A cross/shot over the top from Jónsdóttir is collected by Paños. The Barcelona crowd, shaking with nerves, audibly gasp.
And just like that, Wolfsburg flick a switch and press the Catalan defenders in crazy fashion. It takes them by surprise and forces them Catalan side to clear the ball away from the danger zone.
Aitana receives the ball from Hansen after great work in the box but the midfielder is offside and another chance to attack goes begging for Barça.
Barça waste the free-kick after Mapi and Hansen mess up the training ground move: the centre-back whips in the subsequent cross and it flies over the heads of everyone and goes out for a throw-in.
The first card of the game goes to Hendrich after a foul on Salma Paralluelo.
Oberdorf gets down well to stop Aitana's shot from inside the box. Fantastic defending from the midfielder.
Aitana plays a poor pass left to Salma and it's easily cut out by Hendrich. Groans from the fans who are becoming frustrated.
Bronze gets a foot in to stop Popp getting away as Wolfsburg launch a counter attack. This game is so finely poised, a breath of wind in one direction would be enough to tip the balance.
Rolfö is beginning to have a huge influence in attack on the left side: she broke past her marker but could not find the right run of the many inside the box.
Wolfsburg remind Barça that they too know how to create chances and break down the right before playing in a dangerous cross that Mapi León heads away.
The corner was swung towards the back post where Irene was on her won but somehow she put the ball wide from less than a metre from goal!
WHAT A CHANCE FOR IRENE PAREDES
Rolfö finally finds space and plays the ball towards Mariona but the two do not connect and again it's Janssen who clears.
Jónsdóttir is not allowing Rolfö a moment of peace so far, and has done well to stop the full-back from advancing into dangerous positions on the ball.
Chance for Barcelona as Salma twists left then right, sending Hendrich searching for her twisted ribs on the floor.
The Spanish forward then plays a low pass across the 6-yard box but CGH can't get off the mark quickly enough to sweep it into the net and Janssen clears.
Salma Paralluelo fires over from the resulting corner!
Barça have a free-kick on the right side of the box...
Defended well by the goalscorer.
Barça restart the game and go on the offensive, arriving down the left and playing a dangerous ball across goal that is cleared by Janssen.
A Lucy Bronze error in the buildup fell to Pajor who hit a rocket from distance that Paños got a hand to but had no chance of stopping!
The England defender took too much time on the ball at the back and ran into trouble, allowing Pajor to steal possession and launch a ferocious shot into the top corner.
Wolfsburg now with some possession as the game slows down after an electrifying start.
My, oh my, Barça start strongly and Mariona breaks down the left before the switch of play ends with Graham Hansen cutting back and laying off Aitana for a shot towards Frohms, which is saved.
CHANCE FOR BARÇA!
And we're off!
The sun is shining as Barcelona get us underway in the UWCL final!
And here come the players!
The superhero protest is over - and now it's time for the real show!
I have no idea what is going on...
I guess I'll let you all know what's currently happening on the pitch before the UWCL final: lots of people are wearing a variety of coloured capes and are running around in circles.
It's like a superhero protest for fairer wages.
The teams are almost ready in the tunnel...
But first, a pre-match show. Stop laughing.
Here's a reminder of the starting XIs:
Barcelona:
Paños
Bronze - Irene P - Mapi León - Rolfö
Patri - Aitana - Walsh
CGH - Mariona - Salma
***
Wolfsburg:
Frohms
Rauch - Janssen - Hendrich - Wilms
Oberdorf - Roord - Huth
Jónsdóttir - Pajor - Popp
Barça may come into this game as favourites...
But players like Ewa Pajor, who has scored 8 UWCL goals this season, must be taken into account if they don't want this stat to continue to grow.
The teams are out warming up in Eindhoven!
It's an extremely warm afternoon in northern Europe, as the two sides get their pre-game preparations underway.
The PhilipsStadion is home to PSV, one of the Netherlands' biggest clubs. First constructed as a sports field for employees of the company Philips (other companies are available), the ground openedin1910 and currently holdsover35,000fans.
Diario AS
One for the future...
You may spot a frizzy hairstyle sat on the Barça bench today, and you wouldn't be the first person to notice that the friendly face sporting it looks extremely young to be a footballer for a team in the UWCL final.
Vicky López is Spanish football's rising star, and at just 16-years-old, the midfielder has already won the u-17 World Cup as well as made her debut in the Liga F and UWCL.
She took her national team, led by Kenio Gonzalo, to the final of the 2023 Euros last week, where she scored tow goals in two minutes as Spain led an heroic comeback against France, ultimately losing 3-2.
The fans are out in full force!
Eindhoven has been taken over by thousands of red, blue and green shirts, scarves and everything else for the game today!
What a fantastic atmosphere we've got in store for the final!
Who is the referee today?
Cheryl Foster is the referee for today's game.
The Welsh referee took charge of a variety of games in the Women's EURO 2022 tournament, and also oversaw the 1-1 draw between Wolfsburg and PSG earlier in this season's Champions League campaign.
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So, we know Alexia is starting on the bench, but is it due to fitness?
The Ballon d'Or holder said that she felt '100%' yesterday in the pre-match press conference, but she also recognised that "how many minutes I play is up to the manager".
It seems that Giráldez not set on having her play the full 90, unless he's expecting there to be more than that...
Barça boss pre-game:
We need to minimise Wolfsburg's strengths. We will be wary of their quick attacks and set pieces. We want to dominate the game and not let them show their strengths. If we do that and manage the game well, we will have a very good chance.
I think we're in very good shape. All the players are available, which is a big positive. We've had lots of time to prepare for this final. Experience also gives us a boost. It gives us more strategies ahead of the final. I am feeling optimistic.
I'm very excited. When you get to coach Barcelona, you have to compete in big games for major honours in every competition. Being here shows we've done a very good job overall. We are thrilled to be here and hope to get the win tomorrow.
So, we all know it's Barça's fourth final in five years and Wolfsburg are looking for their first win since 2014, but what is the entire record of UWCL winners?
I'm glad you asked! Here's the rundown of the entire list of winners, even back to when it wasn't even called the Champions League. This is one to bookmark.
And here's the Wolfsburg XI!
It's a strong lineup with Jónsdóttir, Roord and Pajor all starting, as well as Oberdorf, one of the best young players in the world.
Barcelona team news in!
Alexia starts on the bench as Giráldez goes with his trusty trio of Patri, Aitana and Walsh in the middle of the pitch.
Rolfö is fit to start, as is Lucy Bronze.
Salma, Mariona and CGH start up front.
Bad news for Barça!
Nigerian striker, Asisat Oshoala has been ruled out of today's game with a hamstring injury.
She was absent in yesterday's training session at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, and now the doubts have been confirmed.
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We've all seen the astronomical figures that are thrown about when talking about the major tournaments in men's football - but are things the same for the women's game?
Well, not quite, but it's still a huge quantity of money that is involved and the winners definitely don't go away empty-handed. The game is growing every day so hopefully we can see the level of the sport increase as the money pot that looms over everything gets larger and larger...
Stroot pre-match press conference:
For us as a team it's worth a lot. It's been our aim for a long time, especially having reached the semi-finals last year. But it's also clear that we want to win the game and lift the trophy, and so the final also means hard work because we want to be champions.
It's almost impossible to imagine what winning the trophy and bringing it back to Wolfsburg would mean...
I'm excited to see what the feelings will be if it actually does happen, but I'll definitely be proud – and certainly lots of other emotions will also pour out. However, let's take it one step at a time.
UEFA
Who is the Wolfsburg manager?
Tommy Stroot is the 34-year-old Wolfsburg manager who has been in charge of the team since 2021 and has won the 2021/22 league as well as the 2022 and 2023 DFB cups.
Before that, he was in charge of FC Twente in Holland from 2016 to 2021, where he won the Eredivisie twice.
Rodolfo Molina / DIARIO AS
Who is the Barcelona manager?
Jonatan Giráldez took over after Lluís Cortés left the club following their 2021 UWCL win. Giráldez has led the side to two league titles and two Champions League finals, losing last year's edition to Lyon.
With a background in football analytics, Giráldez, who is just 31-years-old, worked as a member of the Barça coaching staff before being promoted to head coach of the first team.
Here are the last 5 Champions League final results:
2021/22: Barcelona (ESP) 1-3 Lyon (FRA)
2020/21: Chelsea (ENG) 0-4 Barcelona (ESP)
2019/20: Wolfsburg (GER) 1-3 Lyon (FRA)
2018/19: Lyon (FRA) 4-1 Barcelona (ESP)
2017/18: Wolfsburg (GER) 1-4 aet Lyon (FRA)
The Catalan side stormed past every team in their Champions League group, coming away with 5 wins and 1 loss (against Bayern). In the quarter-final stage, they played againstRoma where a 1-1 draw in the first leg sent them to Camp Nou with a few doubts, given that the loss in last year’s final was still raw. However, there was no need to be nervous, as Barça blew their Italian opponents away, scoring five goals.
A semi-final over two legs against Chelseawasnext. Barça had beaten Hayes’ side in the 2021 final of the Champions League but nevertheless, The Blues came into the tie with a strong squad that was pushing for the WSL title.
In the first leg, Barça went ahead after just a few minutes with a Carloine Graham Hansen strike and the scoreboard did not change, setting up a do-or-die tie at Camp Nou.
The nerves were at, as you might have guessed, incrediblyhighlevelsatBarça’sstadium, full to the brim with fans once again.
Chelsea defended excellently well and stopped Barcelona from working the ball centrally into the wide areas where players like Salma and Hansen could have done damage. But the home side soon broke the deadlock, with Aitana setting up the Norwegian for a low strike that sent the stadium into delirium.
But it was a feeling that was soon quashed, as Guro Reiten scored just moments later, setting up a hugely tense end to the game.
Barça took their medicine and defended as the clock ticked in an agonisingly slow fashion, but they held on and won 2-1 on aggregate.
MATTHEW CHILDS / Action Images via Reuters
How they got here...
The German side breezed through the group stage, winning 4 and drawing 2 of their games, finishing the first stage top of the pile with 14 points. They took on the ever-dangerous Paris Saint Germain in the quarter-finals, who had edged Real Madrid to second place in Group A.
Élisa De Almeida’s second yellow for PSG came after she gave away a penalty from a handball that was scored by Dominique Janssen, a goal that ended up being what separated the two sides after 90 minutes. A draw in the second leg confirmed that the German side would make it to the semi-finals.
Wolfsburg faced Arsenal in the semi-finals, and the tie, after two incredibly exciting affairs, looked to be going to penalties before a late mistake from Lottie Wubben-Moycruelly sent The Gunners out with the last kick of the game.
Wolfsburg are in their sixth final in 10 years.
Team news: Wolfsburg
Marina Hegering is a doubt, as she has missed the last three matches.
Lena Lattwein has made a full recovery from a broken collarbone and is expected to start alongside Lena Oberdorf.
Team news: Barcelona
The big news all week - and all season - is whether or not Barça superstar and double Ballon d’Or winner,AlexiaPutellas, is going to be fit to play.
We don’t know the starting XI that Jonatan Giráldez will go for just yet, but what is certain is that the club talisman is back, with the manager saying her recovery is “complete”, meaning he has a full squad of players to choose from.
Well, things simply don’t get much bigger than this.
It’s Joe here today, and I am delighted to have the privilege of taking you through the laughter and tears of Barcelona Femení vs Wolfsburg in the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final today, with AS USA.
What a show we’ve got coming up from Eindhoven.