UEFA Women’s Champions League: Oshoala’s Barcelona to face Wolfsburg in final

The Nigerian is eyeing a second European triumph, however, the Blaugrana must negotiate their way past the Germans

 

Asisat Oshoala’s Barcelona will lock horns with Wolfsburg in the final of the 2022-23 UEFA Women’s Champions League final.

The She-Wolves defeated Arsenal 3-2 after extra time at the Emirates Stadium to reach the final on a 5-4 aggregate.

Despite taking an early lead courtesy of Emma Blackstenius, the English team could not hold on to their lead as the Germans restored parity through Jill Jamie Roord four minutes before the half time break.

Two minutes before the hour mark, Alexandra Popp rose above her markers to head Wolfsburg into the lead.

In the 75th minute, Arsenal levelled matters through Jennifer Beattie to ensure that the encounter went into extra time.

However, Pauline Bremer had the final say with her last-gasp winner to end the English side’s ambitions of a second European conquest.

Oshoala and her Blaugrana teammates had picked a ticket for the grand finale following a 2-1 aggregate win over Chelsea with Norway international Graham Hansen scoring in both legs.

The final will hold on June 3 at the Philips Stadion, Eindhoven.

Following her contributions to Barcelona’s maiden Champions League victory, Oshoala became the first Nigerian as well as the first African to win the elite tournament.

Prior to the game in Gothenburg, the Super Falcon stated that the Spaniards had learned from their final defeat to Lyon in 2019.

“Now, we have the experience of how European football is and also how a top game like this is played,” Oshoala told the media.

“I think we’re going to be better with our tactics this year, how we go out and play and everything.

“For us, it was good. We played in the final 2019, we lost and then we picked up corrections from there.

“Come May 16, against Chelsea, I don’t think we’re going to make the same mistakes again, because we already learned from the past. We are a better team now than we were two years ago.”