Underdogs Glasgow City will ‘empty the tank’ against Wolfsburg in Champions League

Scots side are only part-timers left in competition

The vastly experienced Janine van Wyk will be a key player for Glasgow City against Wolfsburg in the Champions League. Picture: Craig Foy / SNS

The only part-time team still in the competition, Glasgow City were only able to make the trip to San Sebastian for Friday evening’s Champions League quarter-final against Wolfsburg thanks to the intervention of philanthropist James Anderson.

The capital-based businessman stepped in when it became obvious that the Scottish side were struggling to finance the extra costs associated with the coronavirus, including testing protocols, plus the added expense of getting players and staff to Spain, where the newly-formatted denouement of the prestigious tournament is being staged.

But while they have benefitted from charitable donations, they will run out against the much-fancied German side determined to prove themselves less generous.

City are through to the last eight for the second time – in 2015 they lost out 7-0 on aggregate to PSG. The global pandemic means that this year’s competition, which was postponed in March, has been condensed, with no home and away legs. Instead, on neutral turf, City will run out against Wolfsburg in a winner-takes-all match. But against the two-time Champions League winners the Scots know that the odds are against them and while they will still back themselves to pull off a shock, the reality is they will probably spend the 90 minutes trying to keep the scoreline as respectable as possible.

If the gulf appears vast, it is due to more than just finances. While their German opponents managed to get in a full season, the timing of the women’s domestic campaign in Scotland meant that Glasgow City had just come off the back of pre-season and played just one league match when football ground to a halt as the nation was forced into lockdown.

Since then the dominant force in the SWPL have managed to squeeze in just one bounce game since losing that league opener to Celtic, in February. That has left everyone at the club working hard to accelerate their return to fitness, in a bid to be as ready as possible for arguably one of the biggest fixtures in the club’s history.

“It would have been nice to have had more games in the build-up but it’s difficult to get teams in the same position as us and able to train and play,” City midfielder Leanne Crichton told BBC Scotland. “But if you can’t get yourself going for a Champions League quarter-final then I don’t think you should be in football. Wolfsburg are a world-class side. We can go, empty the tank and hope for the best.”

The magnitude of the tie and the obvious danger posed by the 2013 and 2014 winners will kick start the adrenaline levels as they contend with the most mis-matched game of the quarter-final stage.

A club used to winning, they have also learned from the regular European forays and have recruited quality over the summer to bolster their defence and attacking options. US-born Krystyna Freda was signed on loan from the Cypriot champions Apollon and with 245 goals in three seasons in Cyprus, she undoubtedly knows the way to goal.

But Wolfsburg have potency in their attract as well, ensuring that the defensive abilities of Glasgow City will likely come under the greatest scrutiny.

The German side have scored 22 goals in the competition already but they have strengthened for the final run in. As well as Denmark’s Pernille Harder and Hungary international Zsanett Jakabfi, they brought in German international and former Manchester City player Pauline Bremer this summer.

It will place a huge onus on City’s experienced newcomers, US full-back Zaneta Wyne, who had played for Sunderland, and the lauded South Africa captain and defender Janine van Wyk, who has 170 caps and signed from Fortuna Hjorring of Denmark last month.