Wolfsburg & Liverpool stumble, Lyon on course
While the UEFA Women’s Champions League holders faltered in the defence of their crown, Frankfurt now have one foot in the semi-finals. Meanwhile in England, Women’s Super League champions Liverpool’s cup dreams were dashed, and in France Lyon celebrated their 19th win in 19 games. FIFA.com brings you a round-up of all the latest women’s football news.
UEFA Champions League: Setback for Wolfsburg, Frankfurt on brink of semis
Defending champions Wolfsburg were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final against Rosengard. The Swedish visitors took the lead through five-time FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year Marta before Verena Faisst levelled the scores for VfL ten minutes later.
The She-Wolves later had to play the final 20 minutes of the match with ten players after Caroline Hansen was dismissed. “We played just as we imagined and gave a good account of ourselves, just as we have done so often over the past year,” Wolfsburg coach Ralf Kellermann explained after the game. “We’ll travel to Malmo for the second leg with plenty of hope.”
Elsewhere, league rivals Frankfurt can practically begin planning for the semi-finals after sweeping aside English top-flight side Bristol Academy 5-0. Veronica Boquete, Bianca Schmidt, Dzsenifer Marozsan, Mandy Islacker and Kerstin Garefrekes all added their names to the scoresheet for Colin Bell’s team.
Division 1 Feminine challengers Paris Saint-Germain continued their European campaign in similarly successful fashion against Glasgow City. The team from the French capital won 2-0 in Scotland thanks to goals from Anissa Lahmari and Kheira Hamraoui, leaving them in a strong position ahead of a second-leg match on home soil.
The story could hardly have been more different for Linkopings after their encounter with Danish league leaders Brondby. An own goal from Charlotte Rohlin consigned the Swedish side to a narrow 1-0 defeat and gave their Nordic neighbours the upper hand ahead of Saturday’s return leg at Brondby Stadium.
France: Lyon have championship glory firmly in their sights
Having already been eliminated from the Champions League, Lyon can focus entirely on continuing their march from one win to the next in the French league, with a resounding 5-1 victory over Saint-Etienne taking coach Gerard Precheur’s side another step closer to retaining their domestic crown. A brace from Lotta Schelin plus further strikes from Ada Hegerberg, Eugenie Le Sommer and Camille Abily steered Lyon to their 19th consecutive win of the current campaign, while Sarah Palacin grabbed a last-minute consolation goal for Les Stéphanoises. Meanwhile, third-placed Juvisy suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat by Guingamp, and Montpellier overwhelmed Metz 5-0. Champions League quarter-finalists Paris Saint-Germain will not return to league action until 3 May.
Top three: Lyon (76 points), Paris Saint-Germain (74), Juvisy (57)
England: League champions Liverpool suffer cup exit
Liverpool’s dreams of lifting the FA Women’s Cup came to an abrupt end in the last 16 after their 3-1 loss to Birmingham City. Jade Moore put the Blues in front, with Natasha Dowie equalising for the Women’s Super League holders a short time later. This stalemate did not last long, however, and Jo Potter and Remi Allen soon put Birmingham back on the road to victory. Manchester City posted the same result against Doncaster Rovers Belles to reach the last eight, while Chelsea and Arsenal both managed even more comfortable victories. The defending champions thrashed Millwall Lionesses 7-0, with Chelsea offering Watford few opportunities to shine as they beat them 6-0.
Spain: No winners in top-of-the-table clash
There was no change at the top of Spain’s Primera Division as none of the top four sides took maximum points. Xavi Llorens’s Barcelona team consolidated their substantial lead by drawing 1-1 in a hotly anticipated clash with closest rivals Atletico Madrid, third-placed Valencia were beaten 2-1 by a Collerense side still full of confidence after holding Atletico to a 0-0 draw last month, and Athletic Bilbao remained fourth despite a 4-1 loss to Levante. At the other end of the table, San Gabriel edged closer to safety by defeating Transportes Alcaine 1-0 – their second successive win after a 3-0 victory over Sevilla last time out.
Top three: Barcelona (64 points), Atletico Madrid (55), Valencia (53)