Will the Wolves finally find a way to beat OL?
It is the most frequently contested matchup in the history of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. When VfL Wolfsburg faces OL Lyon in the first leg of the quarterfinals, two absolute heavyweights of European soccer will clash. While the Wolfsburg women had to fight their way through the playoffs against Juventus Turin (4-2 on aggregate) to reach the knockout stage, Lyon marched through the group stage undefeated (five wins, one draw).
Among the top bookmakers, the betting trend for Wolfsburg vs. Lyon Women is very clearly in favor of the Fenottes advancing. The odds for the French side to “qualify” are currently just 1.05 on the bet365 app.
The roles are thus clear, as the French record-holders have become a real bogey team for the Lower Saxony side in recent years. The two teams already faced off in this year’s group stage, with OL coming out on top (3-1). A result we can well imagine this time around, given the statistics. After all, the Fenottes haven’t dropped many points on the road with 18 unbeaten matches in the Champions League (15 wins, three draws). But since we believe the Wolfs can at least score at home, the match combo on an away win for the French with both teams scoring makes a lot of sense.
Considering that OL Lyonnes have won all three of their previous away matches in Germany and Ada Hegerberg is just one goal away from the historic 70-goal mark in the Champions League, the visitors’ offense looks extremely dangerous. A bet on over 3.5 goals would be a logical choice, with Winamax offering odds of 1.90 for Wolfsburg vs. Lyon Women.
Wolfsburg – Lyon Women Head-to-Head Record
Head to Head: 2 – 1 – 8
The two teams have faced off 11 times so far, and with eight wins, Lyon Women hold a very clear lead in the head-to-head record against the Wolfsburg women. VfL Wolfsburg initially managed to avoid defeat three times in the first four encounters (two wins, one draw), but then lost seven consecutive matches. The French side also came out on top in both of their previous two knockout matches in the quarterfinals (2017 and 2019). VfL’s only major victory against Lyon dates back to the 2013 final (1–0).
Wolfsburg – Lyon Women Prediction
While VfL Wolfsburg has impressed this season primarily with their fighting spirit—the Wolves scored in stoppage time in five of eight matches—the French side has performed at a consistently high level. The Fenottes have successfully navigated 14 of their 16 previous quarterfinal appearances and appear to be an unstoppable machine again this year. Accordingly, the prediction for the Wolfsburg vs. Lyon Women match seems to be an OL victory in the first leg, although VfL’s home strength in the Champions League speaks in their favor (only five losses in their last 25 home games).
The Wolfsburg women will try to create a favorable starting position for the second leg in front of their home crowd. Since we believe the Fenottes will secure an away win in Lower Saxony, but also think the VfL women are capable of scoring at least one goal, we favor the combination of an away win and goals scored by both teams.
