Women's Champions League: deprived of Diani, the Parisiennes eliminated by Wolfsburg in the quarterfinals

Europe 1 with AFP 21:21 p.m., March 30, 2023

Deprived in the second half of their center forward Kadidiatou Diani, hit in the right shoulder after forty minutes, the Parisiennes were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Champions League Thursday night by the German Wolfsburg. After the defeat (1-0) in the first leg on the lawn of the Parc des Princes last week, Grace Geyoro's teammates could not do better than draw 1-1 in the VW-Arena in Wolfsburg, synonymous with the end of the European adventure this season.

Finalist of the Champions League in 2015 and 2017 (respective defeats by Frankfurt and Olympique Lyonnais), the Parisiennes miss the last four of the Champions League for the first time in four seasons (semi-finals in 2020, 2021 and 2022). Gérard Preacher's players absolutely had to win in Wolfsburg by two goals to reach the semi-finals of the competition and imposed during the first twenty minutes a high pressing.

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Diani hit in the right shoulder

They created the first chances, as early as the 5th minute by Laurina Frazer, whose strike lacked power to worry Merle Frohms. The goalkeeper, vice-champion of Europe last summer in England with the Mannschaft, saw Kadidiatou Diani open the scoring in the 11th minute, but the goal of the Parisian striker was logically disallowed after consulting the VAR, for a clear offside position (upper body and right leg).

Against the flow of the game, the Germans opened the scoring in the 20th minute by the indefatigable Alexandra Popp. Popp was served by Felicitas Rauch, and at the entrance of the penalty area, she lobbed Sarah Bouhaddi with a superb left-footed strike. Stunned, the Parisiennes avoided Popp's double in the 28th minute, on a diving header pushed away by Bouhaddi, then returned to the score at the half-hour mark. On a perfectly dosed centre from Sakina Karchaoui, Diani beat Dutch defender Dominique Janssen to deceive Frohms.

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Turning point of the game

The turning point of the match came in the 40th minute. In a duel with Germany's Kathrin Hendrich, Diani fell badly to the ground on her right shoulder. Treated for long minutes, the Frenchwoman came back but lay again in the penalty area in added time and returned to the dressing room with her arm in a sling and with ice. She was replaced by Amalie Vangsgaard after the break.

Wolfburg dominated the proceedings in the second half, touching the uprights twice by Popp (53rd) and Sveindis Jonsdottir (85th), while Bouhaddi won his duel with Jill Roord (58th minute) and Geyoro pushed Popp's header back on his line (60th). European champions in 2013 and 2014 and finalists in the event in 2016, 2018 and 2020, Wolfsburg's players will face Arsenal in the semi-finals. The Londoners eliminated Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, overturning a 1-0 defeat in the first leg at Munich's Allianz Arena with a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium.