Di 2025/26 UEFA Women Champions League quarterfinals don start, and one of di biggest matches na di one wey VfL Wolfsburg Frauen go host OL Lyonnes for Tuesday. Di match go hold for Volkswagen Arena, and na first leg of di quarter-final tie before di return leg go hold for Lyon next week.
Wolfsburg defender Janou Levels don tok say she dey ready for di challenge of facing Lyon once again. Di 25-year-old Dutch international wey join Wolfsburg ahead of dis season don become constant for dia backline, and she don even assist eight goals across all competitions – di most for her career. Levels tok say di approach to UWCL games don change since she leave PSV, where she dey play as underdog. “With PSV, that was our first experience [in di UWCL], we were definitely di underdogs and tried to defend a lot,” she tok ahead of tonight match. “Now playing for Wolfsburg, we have a lot of quality and we are a very good team, so it’s up for us to show ourselves, be confident with di ball, so it’s a very different approach.”
Even though Wolfsburg and Lyon don meet for di league phase already, and dem go face each other three times during di campaign, Levels insist say playing side like OL Lyonnes no dey “boring.” “I think it’s a great opponent to play against and we are looking forward to these matches against dem,” she add. When di two sides meet last time, Wolfsburg lose 3-1 as di German side no fit contain Ada Hegerberg, wey score two goals. Levels play for almost 80 minutes for dat match and she admit say she dey ready for di challenge of players like Kadidiatou Diani wey dey run at her.
“Dem have many great players and a lot of changes in position, so I think there’s not going to be one opponent to face. There’s going to be a lot of opponents coming close to me. So it’s going to be interesting,” Levels tok. Coming up against free-scoring side like Lyon no easy, but facing dem for UWCL na anoda challenge entirely. Since Lyon don win di tournament eight times, di French giants sabi how to win and limit dia opponents’ opportunities. After dia previous encounter, Levels believe say communication fit make di difference. “It’s going to be really important for us. There’s a lot of changes in positions, players coming inside, dropping, going deep — so it’s all about communication and working together. But also being aggressive and defending forward,” she explain.
Despite dia 3-1 loss to OL Lyonnes, Wolfsburg still reach quarter-finals through di play-off route. Dem overcome Italian champions Juventus 4-2 on aggregate, to set up reunion with di French side. After coming from 2-0 down for di first leg to Juventus, Levels believe say di side need to dey more confident with dia ability on di ball and must play dia own game to achieve result after dia disappointing defeat for November. “If we see di first match [against Lyon] it was not our best, and I think we got a little stressed when we were with di ball. Although that’s a big strength for us. We want to be more comfortable with di ball, more confident so we can also play our game because we can’t forget we also have a lot of quality. So that’s definitely something we want to show more, if we compare it to di last match against dem,” she tok.
Since Levels join Wolfsburg nine months ago from fellow German side Bayer Leverkusen, di defender dey enjoy playing European football once again against di “best opponents in Europe.” Levels acknowledge di quality of play for Frauen Bundesliga, but she admit say na di higher levels of play for UWCL dey push players to dia limit. “I would say di speed of playing is higher. Di physical part is different than in di league, and although in Germany di league is good, di level is even higher in di Champions League, and it’s great to be playing these kinds of matches,” she tok.
For international level, Levels don make her debut for Netherlands against Japan for 2021, and she don dey in and out of di national set-up. However, she dey included for di most recent Netherlands team for dia World Cup qualifiers against Poland and Republic of Ireland. For di upcoming April international break, di Dutch go face France both at home and away. When dem ask whether coming up against so many French players for dis UWCL quarter-final go help her prepare for dose qualifiers, Levels hint say she get headstart. “I think it’s difficult because with di national team it’s completely different. But, I think personally, I can have another look on di players, how dem play, how dem move. So for me personally, I can take something with me,” she tok.
Di confirmed lineups for tonight match show Wolfsburg go field Johannes; Linder, Dijkstra, Küver, Bjelde; Peddemors, Kielland, Minge ©; Huth, Beerensteyn, Endemann. Lyonnes go play with Endler; Lawrence, Renard ©, Engen, Bacha; Egurrola, Heaps; Dumornay; Chawinga, Hegerberg, Diani. All 2025/26 Champions League matches go stream live on Paramount+, and viewers for home fit watch every match of di UEFA Women Champions League live on Disney+ as part of existing customer subscriptions.
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