Holders Barcelona into women's Champions League final
Sports
Barcelona returned to the women’s Champions League final despite having their 45-match winning run
WOLFSBURG (AFP) - Barcelona returned to the women’s Champions League final despite having their 45-match winning run ended by a 2-0 loss at Wolfsburg in Saturday’s semi-final second leg.
The Spanish giants advanced to the May 21 final with a 5-3 aggregate win despite the loss at Wolfsburg after Tabea Wassmuth and Jill Roord scored for the hosts.
"I’m proud of the team, especially as the second leg we showed what we are made of and we could have had a few more goals," goal-scorer Wassmuth told DAZN.
"It wasn’t easy to come back after the first leg and beat Barcelona."
The reigning European champions had romped to a 5-1 victory in front of a crowd of 91,648 -- a world record in women’s football -- in the first leg at Camp Nou.
However, Wolfsburg, who won consecutive women’s Champions League titles in 2013 and 2014, stepped up in the second leg to end Barca’s long winning streak in all competitions dating back to last season.
"Today was an example of the fact that it’s simply not easy to reach a Champions League final," said Barcelona defender Maria Leon.
"This will be our third final in four years and that’s something worth valuing."
After a goalless first half, Wassmuth scored her 10th goal in as many Champions League games when she smashed home from outside the area just after the break.
Wolfsburg doubled their lead just before the hour with another long-range goal when Dutch midfielder Roord unleashed a low drive into the right-hand corner.
Barcelona will face either Paris Saint-Germain or record seven-time winners Lyon in the final in Turin.
