The finalists for the 2023 UWCL final have been confirmed. Barcelona will be facing off against Wolfsburg in Eindhoven on June 3. Both teams, having given their all to get to the last phase of the competition, will now have a chance to get their hands on the much-coveted European trophy.
The final will be a one-game face-off, unlike the previous stages, where it was a two-legged affair. Both teams will only have ninety minutes of regulation time. However, provided the game ends in a draw at the end of regulation time, another thirty minutes of extra time would be given to break the tie and find a winner. After which, the game would then proceed to penalties if neither side could find a winning goal to end the contest.
Both Barcelona and Wolfsburg have had an impressive season so far, with breathtaking performances both in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and their respective domestic leagues.
Barcelona, who have been crowned champions of the Spanish League after winning 26 league games in a row, conceding five goals, and scoring a total of 108 goals to clinch the title.
Wolfsburg is currently sitting in second place in the Frauen-Bundesliga, just one point below league leaders Bayern Munich. They have scored 63 goals and conceded just nine in 18 games.
The road to Eindhoven
The final of the 2023 edition of the UEFA Women’s Champions League will be played at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, Netherlands, on June 3 at 14:00 UTC.
Both Barcelona and Wolfsburg have taken the hard road to get here, overcoming all challenges to get that chance at glory. Given their history in the competition, both teams are well respected, having shown their ambition and drive over the years.
Come June 3, both teams would have made a combined ten appearances in the UWCL final over the years, winning three titles among them.
However, this is the first time they would be facing one another in the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and it promises to be an exciting match.
Barcelona Femeni
Barcelona got their ticket for the final after denying Chelsea a chance to get on the bus to Eindhoven. In a tantalizing matchup that saw two European giants play against each other, Barcelona got the better of Chelsea again. After defeating the English side with a score line of 4-0 in the 2021 edition, Chelsea was made to relive the nightmare from Gutenberg when they were dumped out of the competition by their Spanish counterparts.
After a 1-0 victory away and a 1-1 draw at the Spotify Camp Nou, the Blaugrana progressed to the finals on aggregate. With a record of being the best-attacking side in the competition, Barcelona would be looking to bag their second UEFA Women’s Champions League trophy after reaching the final three times in a row. Denied a chance to get their hands on the much-coveted title by Olympique Lyonnais in the previous edition, Barca has found their way to the finals again, thus making it their third consecutive appearance in a UWCL final match in a row and their fourth appearance in five years.
Barcelona, who were recently crowned champions of Liga F, the Spanish league, only has the UEFA Women’s Champions League to focus on. The Catalans were knocked out of the Spanish Cup, the Copa de la Reina, due to fielding an ineligible player. Hence, thwarting their chances of winning the treble. However, with the league cup already won, the Spanish giants can direct all their focus on the final in Eindhoven.
Another massive boost will be the return of club captain Alexia Putellas, who was out for a period of about 10 months after suffering an ACL injury that kept her on the sidelines for most of the season. The two-time Ballon d’Or and FIFA Best Player of the Year returned from injury in time to make the squad list against Chelsea in the second leg of the semi-finals. Although she didn’t get any minutes in that game, the Spanish midfielder featured in the 3-0 victory over Sporting de Huelva, the game that helped the Blaugrana officially secure the Liga F title.
Even though the skipper performed well in her brief cameo, it was obvious she still lacked match fitness and would require more game time to shake off the rustiness and be fully ready. But with no threat of slipping up and losing the league title hanging over their heads anymore, Barcelona would try to get their superstar plenty of game time between now and June 3 to be fully prepared for the game against Wolfsburg in Eindhoven.
Rewatch the semi-finals
You can re-watch the semi-final match between Barcelona Femeni and Chelsea Women on DAZN.
Chelsea vs Barcelona (first leg): https://www.youtube.com/live/StRJuKYKZFo?feature=share
Barcelona vs Chelsea (second leg): https://www.youtube.com/live/suiRCBzlS1k?feature=share
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg, on the other hand, had to plow through Arsenal to make their way to Eindhoven. It was a thrilling two-legged affair where both sides forced each other into extra time to decide the winner of the tie.
After playing a 2-2 draw in the first leg, the German side traveled to London, where they ended the 90 minutes with the same scoreline again. Being equal on aggregate, the game extended into extra time, where Wolfsburg was finally able to get the goal they needed to march on to the finals.
With an aggregate scoreline of 5-4, the two-time champions make their way to Eindhoven, where they will be making their sixth appearance in the UWCL final.
Having the leading goal scorer of the competition in their ranks is a massive boost for Wolfsburg. With 8 goals to her name, Ewa Pajor leads the UWCL goalscoring chart for the season, with Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati being the closest threat to her with 5 goals.
Rewatch the semi-finals
You can re-watch the semi-final match between VFL Wolfsburg and Arsenal Women on DAZN.
Wolfsburg vs Arsenal (first leg): https://www.youtube.com/live/IuPzyJRV1cg?feature=share
Arsenal vs Wolfsburg (second leg): https://www.youtube.com/live/eDnrAGSjP3k?feature=share
What to expect
It would be a clash of the titans in Eindhoven, as the game promises to be full of drama and vigor. with both sides possessing enough qualities to be crowned champions.
Kick-off time
14:00 UTC. 15:00 WAT, 10:00 ET
Where to watch the game
You can watch the UWCL final match between Barcelona Femeni and VFL Wolfsburg live on YouTube at DAZN Women’s Football.
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