Sophie Downey’s report is in from the Volkswagen Arena. That’s all from me: cheers for joining!
“It was a crazy game,” says Beerensteyn. On her first goal: “Alexandra Popp screamed so loud: ‘Shoot, shoot, shoot!’ Then I thought: ‘Why not?’”
United were so impressive at the start, taking the lead with a delightful team move. But the mistakes piled up at the back; Ella Peddemors and Lineth Beerensteyn capitalised by finding top bins. Beerensteyn, the Dutch forward, was the standout, causing havoc when dribbling through the middle.
FULL-TIME: Wolfsburg 5-2 Manchester United
United perfect run in Europe is over after an error-strewn display.
90+11 min: Beerensteyn walks off after getting some treatment.
90+9 min: It’s scrappy stuff as United launch forward. Beerensteyn is flattened by George inside the Wolfsburg half.
Riviere launches a pass back to Middleton-Patel, but she doesn’t spot the sub Endemann. She latches on to the ball, rounds the keeper, and slots in.
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GOAL! Wolfsburg 5-2 Manchester United (Endemann 90+6)
Oh dear. It’s another error at the back from United and that wraps it.
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90+4 min: Riviere has put in a proper shift and does well to win a free-kick on the right for United … Zigiotti sends in a wicked, deep ball, with George free for the volley … but she miscues with just the keeper to beat.
90+3 min: Galton is up and continues to be monitored off the field as play resumes.
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90+1 min: Eight minutes added on. Wedemeyer thunders a cross but it strikes Galton on the head from close range: that’s a serious blow and the docs are on to check on her.
90 min: Zigiotti twists and turns, refuses to give in when trapped in the left corner, and it seems like she’s won a throw … but the flag goes up.
88 min: Levels whips in another corner, right into the heart of the goal … but the ref’s whistle goes for a foul.
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86 min: After the thrills of the first half … we’ve had a pretty quiet second.
84 min: Riviere has a chance to send in a long throw from the right … but it doesn’t get enough distance. George takes down Huth on the edge of the Wolfsburg area to break down United’s advance.
83 min: Naalsund replaces Miyazawa for United.
81 min: Jess Park shows off some quick footwork but Wolfsburg are quickly down the other end: Beerensteyn to Peddemors, who plays a lovely ball across goal … just out of Zicai’s reach.
80 min: The flag goes up against the substitute Zicai, much to the relief of Le Tissier, who gave the ball away.
79 min: Le Tissier heads away a corner; Middleton-Patel is out to punch away another ball in. The set-pieces remain a problem for United.
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77 min: Wolfsburg play some slick passes to advance down the left, with Beerensteyn threatening to finish the move … Janssen does enough to force a corner.
75 min: A United corner turns into a Wolfsburg counter, the relentless Beerensteyn mazing down the right: she wants the match ball to take home.
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74 min: Zigiotti skips down the right to win a corner … George and Williams come on for United.
72 min: The docs are getting a serious workout: now we’ve got a break as Middleton-Patel is seen to.
71 min: Sandberg steams in on the overlap but can’t keep hold of the ball to whip in from the left wing.
69 min: Awujo shields the ball well to win a free-kick in midfield.
68 min: United have lacked any real spark in this half, failing to lift off after Malard’s goal before half-time.
The No 9 rolls off Janssen to keep down the bouncing ball, dribbles forward, into the area, with Le Tissier not putting in a challenge. The finish is rolled in past Middleton-Patel, who gets a foot on it but not enough.
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GOAL! Wolfsburg 4-2 Manchester United (Beerensteyn 65)
It’s direct, clinical work by Beerensteyn.
63 min: Changes for United: Jess Park and Leah Galton are on.
62 min: Huth whips it in to the area … and Beerensteyn glances a header … but Middleton-Patel makes a terrific save low to her left, tipping the ball round for a corner. That’ll do her a world of good.
61 min: Awujo concedes a free-kick out on Wolfsburg’s left and here comes another test for Middleton-Patel ….
59 min: And here’s the change: Popp is off for Lena Lattwein.
58 min: Down goes Popp again … it seems like her game might be over.
56 min: Popp, Wolfsburg’s captain, is back on … and the ball nearly breaks to her inside the area. Awujo is present to wallop a clearance.
54 min: The docs are back on as Popp is seen to, this game very stop-start at the moment.
51 min: Beerensteyn nearly has her second: Huth crosses from the right and the Wolfsburg No 9’s volley inside the area travels just wide.
50 min: A yellow for Peddemors, on a hat-trick, after Awujo goes down on the right. Zigiotti sends it into the area and Johannes, after a fumble, collects.
49 min: It’s a quiet start to the second half, with plenty of throw-ins.
47 min: Popp, who was, um, popping around in awkward spaces for United in the first half, goes down.
46 min: And we’re back for more. No goals just yet.
There’s been some pretty sloppy work at the back across both sides, but the quality of finishing has been magical, goal-of-the-season stuff.
HALF-TIME: Wolfsburg 3-2 Manchester United
Here’s to another five in the second half!
This time it’s a wayward Wolfsburg header at the back … Malard expertly judges the bounce, turns inside the area and hooks the ball into the net. It’s another quality finish.
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GOAL! Wolfsburg 3-2 Manchester United (Malard 45+2)
Yeah, this is carnage.
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A wayward pass by Zigiotti finds Beerensetyn, who doesn’t overthink it: she lets fly from outside the area, 25 yards out, into the top right corner.
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GOAL! Wolfsburg 3-1 Manchester United (Beerensteyn 45)
That’s a corker.
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43 min: Zigiotti decides to test the keeper … but the drive is straight at Johannes.
42 min: Malard wins a free-kick out on the left after getting pulled back by Linder.
41 min: This must be so frustrating to watch for Skinner. His side have put together the best move of the match but Wolfsburg’s more direct, physical game is hurting.
It begins with a free-kick out on the left, Huth’s ball in headed out by Janssen. The ball is worked around and Peddemors, from about 30 yards out, just sends in a low, hopeful drive … but it manages to beat everyone, including Middleton-Patel, diving to her right, the ball finding the bottom corner. It’s been a troubling half for the United keeper.
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GOAL! Wolfsburg 2-1 Manchester United (Peddemors 37)
Wolfsburg are gaining some momentum with set-pieces … and it translates into the lead!
35 min: Wolfsburg have a corner … and Middleton-Patel can’t punch away, with Küver’s flick-on in the mixer narrowly over.
33 min: Riviere sends in a long throw before the ball returns to her – she crosses into the area but Malard can’t generate any real power with her header.
31 min: Levels is looking to trouble United by pinging the ball down the line to the chasing Bussy.
29 min: Popp goes down but United play on, much to the crowd’s dissatisfaction. The lively Sandberg is dispossessed but Wolfsburg waste their counter. The game has been confined to the midfield since the equaliser.
27 min: United regain their composure as Riviere tidily wriggles out of danger in the right-back region.
26 min: Wolfsburg have a corner from the right, with the left-back Levels to swing it it in … it’s a teasing ball but United clear.
25 min: Popp’s holdup play gets Wolfsburg moving the ball around after a few scrappy minutes of action.
23 min: Miyazawa loses her boot after a challenge by Popp.
21 min: Oh right, we’re having a VAR check regarding the goal, in relation to the challenge on Riviere by Wolfsburg’s Beerensteyn. Never mind, the goal stands.
20 min: Riviere is down again, having hurt herself in the buildup to that Wolfsburg equaliser.
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After all that brilliance going forward, this is poor from United at the back. Middleton-Patel is a touch surprised by a Le Tissier backpass and the goalkeeper’s clearance stays on the carpet, going to Ella Peddemors. From the edge of the 18-yard box, she takes a touch before curling into the top right corner. A cracking finish.
GOAL! Wolfsburg 1-1 Manchester United (Peddemors 17)
This is already a wild game.
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This is all about the patient buildup play, United wheeling it around on the right, waiting for the perfect moment to break through. It comes on the other wing, though, with Melvine Malard’s burst of pace sending her free. In comes a delightful cross, and Fridolina Rolfö’s timing is perfect, her thumping header giving United the lead. It’s against her former club, too.
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GOAL! Wolfsburg 0-1 Manchester United (Rolfö 14)
A phenomenal move from the visitors.
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12 min: Very nearly 1-0. It’s brilliant play by Wolfsburg down the left, with Popp sending in the cross … Huth is at the back post to put her foot through the ball … but she clips the bar!
10 min: Riviere is back on but Wolfsburg finally get a decent hold of the ball until United win it high up the pitch … Toone is in space inside the D but can’t keep control of the ball.
9 min: Zigiotti thumps the ball towards the far post … but the offside flag is up.
8 min: It’s Riviere’s ankle that seems to be in trouble, and she looks in real pain as she hobbles off.
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7 min: Riviere goes down after a challenge by Popp and United have a free-kick out on the right, the ball waiting to be whipped in. The United right-back is still down, though, and being seen to by the docs.
6 min: Sandberg is looking a threat out on the left, and Riviere is high up on the right, hassling away to deny Wolfsburg an exit from their own half.
4 min: … Zigotti’s ball in finds the safe hands of Johannes. United have begun well, though, taking control of possession.
3 min: Malard drops deep to get involved in United’s build-up play before Sandberg finds space to dribble down the left. Corner to the visitors …
2 min: The ball is stuck on Wolfsburg’s left wing before United begin wheeling it around at the back.
Peeeeep!
Wolfsburg, decked out in green, kick us off – three of their players shoot down the left wing as they go long.
The players are shaking hands – we’ll be up and running shortly.
Marc Skinner speaks about the loss to City, three days on from their Champions League win over PSG: “There’s a frustration with the two-day turnaround, it’s not enough to get the energy levels up. But we’ve had another three days and what I know about this group is they’re ready and hungry to put that right. We don’t sulk. We just get on with our job.”
Beth Mead’s Arsenal will be in action later this evening against Real Madrid. Before then, have a read:
We went on to win the tournament – back-to-back European champions. But I walked off the pitch with more than just a medal. I walked away with the realisation that the game I love, the game that’s given me everything, is already being shaped by the changing climate. This isn’t something that’s happening in the future. It’s happening now – on training grounds, in stadiums, and in communities all over the world. Matches are being cancelled because of heatwaves. Training sessions are being moved to dawn or dusk.
United make three changes to the starting XI that featured against City, with Jess Park, Leah Galton and Elisabeth Terland dropping to the bench; in come Simi Awujo, Fridolina Rolfö and Melvine Malard.
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The teams
Wolfsburg: Johannes, Linder, Dijkstra, Küver, Levels, Huth, Peddemors, Minge, Bussy, Beerensteyn, Popp
Subs: Smolarczyk, Tufekovic, Kleinherne, Lattwein, Kielland, Bergsvand, Wedemeyer, Endemann, Zicai, Pujols
Manchester United: Middleton-Patel, Riviere, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg, Awujo, Miyazawa, Zigiotti Olme, Toone, Malard, Rolfö
Subs: Rendell, George, Blundell, Park, Terland, Galton, Naalsund, Williams
Preamble
Let’s forget the derby, shall we? The Champions League table still looks very pretty for Manchester United, three wins from three leaving them third, in position to advance straight to the quarters. They’ve edged out Vålerenga and Atlético Madrid, and ruined Mary Earps’ return to Old Trafford.
Now come a proper test away to Wolfsburg, quarter-finalists last season, runners-up two years before. They enter with two wins from three, their one defeat inflicted by high-flyers OL Lyonnes. This is a club with serious pedigree in this competition, champions in 2013 and 2014. For Marc Skinner’s side, this whole thing remains a brand new world, a chance to upset the established order. We’ll kick off at 5.45pm GMT.
