Wolfsburg vs Arsenal - UWCL preview: TV channel, live stream, team news & prediction
Wolfsburg and Arsenal will go head to head in the 2022/23 Women's Champions League semi-finals this Sunday with the first leg at the Volkswagen Arena.
In the 2002/03 season, Arsenal reached their first European semi-final in the second edition of the UEFA Women's Cup, which was a year before VfR Eintracht Wolfsburg was acquired by VfL Wolfsburg.
Ten years later, Wolfsburg eliminated the Gunners, who were the 2006/07 champions, in their sixth and, until this year, most recent semi-final appearance.
Wolfsburg went on to win the first of their two consecutive titles in their debut European campaign, with the German team reaching the last four in eight of the eleven seasons since their debut.
The German team advanced to the semi-finals this season after defeating Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals, with Alexandra Popp first half goal in the second leg ultimately deciding the tie.
Arsenal secured their place in the semi-finals by eliminating Bayern Munich in the previous round, overturning a first-leg deficit and showing a renewed attacking spirit, a major achievement given that Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema have been sidelined by season-ending injuries.
Where to watch Wolfsburg vs Arsenal on TV/live stream
- When is kick off? Sunday 23 April, 14:30 (BST)
- Where is the match being played? Volkswagen Arena
- TV channel/live stream? DAZN UEFA Women's Champions League YouTube
- Referee? Kateryna Monzu (UKR)
Wolfsburg team news
Popp played against Arsenal ten years ago and will hope to be fit after suffering an injury while on international duty with Germany.
Marina Hegering is also a doubt for Sunday and Lena Lattwein will certainly not feature, as she is out until the end of the season with a broken collarbone.
Arsenal team news
Along with Miedema and Mead, Kim Little has been ruled out for the season due to a hamstring issue.
Leah Williamson became the third Arsenal player this season to suffer an ACL injury when she ruptured the ligament early in the midweek WSL clash with Manchester United - the England captain will miss the World Cup as a result.
Wolfsburg vs Arsenal score prediction
The Gunners do not have the best track record against German teams, and specifically Wolfsburg, with the team most recently knocking Arsenal out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage last year.
The last five matches played between the two teams, since 2013, has seen Arsenal lose four time and draw once.
Though the Gunners beat Bayern Munich in the previous round, so they may be turning a corner when it comes to German teams. That being said, the losses of Little and possible Williamson could be really costly for the Gunners.
Losing stability at the back, plus the added fact that Arsenal have sometimes struggled going forward due to missing some of their star forwards means that Wolfsburg will see themselves as having an advantage, and fully be able to play their game.
For Wolfsburg, they won't want to make the same mistake that Bayern did against Arsenal in the previous round, and the She-Wolves will be hungry to get a good lead, before they head to London for the second leg.