"MADRID -- Former winners VfL Wolfsburg had the perfect opportunity to break into the top four of the UEFA Women's Champions League table and earn automatic qualification to the knockouts. Instead, they gifted that chance to nine-player Real Madrid, who claimed a 2-0 victory and have positioned themselves on the cusp of avoiding the knockouts. It was always going to be a tight contest, with both sides needing a win in the penultimate game of the league phase."
"Despite finishing the match with nine players, Real Madrid were dominant and ultimately frustrated a Wolfsburg side desperate to reclaim its former continental stature. Everything was positioned for Wolfsburg to take control and reassert their standing as one of Europe's powerhouses. Instead, their profligacy and lackluster performance told a different story that suggests a shifting of the tide where Real Madrid might well disrupt the established top order."
VfL Wolfsburg lost 2-0 at Real Madrid and missed an opportunity to move into the UEFA Women's Champions League top four and secure automatic knockout qualification. Real Madrid finished with nine players after Maëlle Lakrar received two yellow cards before halftime and Iris Santiago was sent off during stoppage time, yet Real Madrid remained dominant. María Méndez scored the opener from a swinging corner. Wolfsburg controlled possession and created most chances but lacked composure and clinical finishing in the final third. The result suggests Real Madrid could disrupt the established hierarchy among Europe's top women's clubs.
Read at ESPN.com
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