Barcelona survive Wolfsburg fightback to reach WCL final as winning run ends

The defending champions Barcelona reached the Women’s Champions League final but failed to win for the first time this season, losing the second leg of their semi-final to Wolfsburg 2-0 but advancing 5-3 on aggregate.

The Catalan team had won every game in all competitions, including a 5-1 thrashing of Wolfsburg in the first leg last week. Barcelona’s previous defeat was in June 2021.

Barça dominated the first half in Wolfsburg but lacked a finishing touch. But Wolfsburg shattered that aura of invincibility in the second half. Tabea Wassmuth scored in the 47th minute with a long-range strike, her 10th Champions League goal this season bringing her level with the visitors’ Alexia Putellas as the leading scorer in the competition.

The midfielder Jill Roord then doubled the lead in the 59th with a low drive into the bottom corner.

Wolfsburg knocked out Barcelona in the 2020 semi-finals and the 2014 quarter-finals, but came up short this time. The Barcelona goalkeeper Sandra Paños turned striker Ewa Pajor’s low effort around the post in the 89th minute in a frantic finish.

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Barcelona will face a French side, Lyon or Paris Saint-Germain, in the final on May 21 in Turin.

The holders are seeking to repeat their treble of last season. Barcelona have already clinched the Spanish league and are in the Copa de la Reina semi-finals.