Line Up:

4-2-3-1. We have Merle Frohms in the goal. For defenders Sara Agrez, Felicitas Rauch, Joelle Wedermeyer, and Marina Hegering. In the midfield and attack, we have Kristin Demann, Riola Xhemaili, Svenja Huth, Jule Brand, Ewa Pajor, and Alex Popp.

When it comes to the starting eleven, it’s great to see Brand starting. She has great movement in the attack and is great with the ball at her feet. We got to see some of her crafty footwork in the World Cup. Then there’s Alex Popp, and Ewa Pajor; two great goal-scorers. Hopefully, Pajor will be onsides and able to put the ball into the goal. I know last season there were a few moments where Pajor was in a bit of a rut when it came to scoring goals, but she should be okay this season. There is great support in the attack when it comes to this starting eleven with Huth and Brand. I’m also interested to see how Riola Xhemeili does in this match, and see what she brings to Wolfsburg’s attack.

Wolfsburg has signed many new players ahead of the 2023/2024 Frauen Bundesliga Season. Some of these players include: Lisa Schmitz, Fenna Kalma, Vivien Endemann, Riola Xhemaili, Caitlin Dijkstra, Camilla Kuver, Chantal Hagal, and Nuria Rábano, coming from Barcelona.

Chantal Hagel, whose coming over from Hoffenheim, is a player I’ve been looking forward to. She’s a very flexible player able to play as an attacking midfielder, central midfielder, leftback, and centerback. Most likely, she’s going to be filling Jill Roord’s role of attacking and central midfielder, after Roord was sold to Manchester City. At the same time, since Hagal can play in the backline, her defending experience will come in handy. Wolfsburg for the past two seasons, has struggled with their backline and defense, and it has unfortunately cost them the UEFA Champions League Trophy last season.

There’s also Camilla Kuver and Nuria Rábano, two defenders, who will also strengthen Wolfsburg’s backline and defense. Fenna Kalma, who’s going to be interesting to watch in the attack. And young talent, Vivien Endemann, coming over from SGS Essen, who can play as a right winger, left winger, center forward, striker, and right midfielder. I’m looking forward to Endemann the most. She seems like a very young, but strong attacking player. In general, Endemann’s career is definitely something to keep an eye on for the future. We may eventually see her on the Germany Women’s National Team as well.

With all this talent coming to Wolfsburg, hopefully we’ll see better rotation in Wolfsburg’s upcoming games, especially when it comes to the attacking players. At the same time, hopefully we’ll see better defending and defending strategy from Wolfsburg as well. This is a test game, so it’s going to be interesting to see how this team plays ahead of the upcoming regular season.

First Half Notes:

VfL Wolfsburg: 1-1

Since this is a club friendly, the teams only played for thirty-five minutes. It was a good first half for Wolfsburg. There’s good movement and control in the midfield, and some good connection in the attack. However, when it comes to the connection in the box, it’s not there yet. On the upside, it appears as though Wolfsburg has been working on it, and the players (especially the new players) just need to get more adjusted to playing with one another.

Xhemaili is getting in the box, and is proving to be a dangerous attacking threat, but she is still needing to connect with the crosses and services from her attacking teammates. I believe she’ll get there. Again, this is just a test game, and as the season goes on, as she starts getting adjusted to how Wolfsburg plays, she’ll be able to find the back of the net.

Jule Brand is also doing well in this match too. Her movement on the ball is still good. I think Wolfsburg should attack more on the right wing, especially when it seems as though Brand is open on that side quite a bit. Overall, I don’t really have any issues with this first half, but I do think Wolfsburg needs to keep up their attack a little more. I would like to see Hagel, Kalma, or Endemann come on in the second half to see how they change up the attack.

Second Half Notes:

Wolfsburg 2-1

The game is not over yet. This is another halftime break. Wolfsburg is currently leading 2-1. So far in this second half, Wolfsburg still looks good. There’s great control and possession in the midfield. So far, it’s been all Wolfsburg in this half. They’ve been on the attack and have been creating a lot of chances and services. Once again, finishing is something this team needs to work on. Xhemaili has been getting in the box a lot more. Endemann has been doing great since coming in. She has been getting in the box and has been creating some good chances. I do want to see more of her, though, same with Kalma. Besides that, the team is looking great. I do want to see them maintain this control going into the next half, but also connect better in the attack and in the box.

Third Half/Closing Notes:

Wolfsburg wins 4-1.

This was a good win and a great performance from Wolfsburg. Now that we’ve seen almost everyone play, the question is, who’s going to start once the season starts up? I do like Xhemaili. She is definitely an attacking threat in the box, but her connection with the other attacking players needs some touching up here and there. Finishing, much like everyone else on the team, needs to be worked on too. I wouldn’t mind seeing Xhemaili starting as long as she has support in the attack. Endemann also seems like an interesting attacker. She kind of reminds me of Jule Brand with her movement and footwork. Her services and crosses were good, but they need to be cleaner and more precise.

Overall, Wolfsburg’s midfield and attack looked good in this match. Collectively, the connection in the attack and in the box still needs some cleaning up. Once the season starts, and as it progresses, I’m sure we’ll see that strong and ruthless attack that Wolfsburg is known for. As for Wolfsburg’s backline and defense, I couldn’t get a good read on them from this match, mainly because the attack and midfield were doing a great job at keeping possession. From what I saw, though, the backline and defense need to be quicker with their clearances and recoveries, but I want to see how they do in their upcoming games to get a better read on them.

Wolfsburg is on the right track towards success with a team that boasts a perfect blend of experienced and fresh talent. Although, there are areas that require improvement, the team’s potential and promise are undeniable. With unwavering dedication and hard work, the team is poised to achieve greatness in the upcoming Frauen Bundesliga season. The future looks bright for Tommy Stroot and his team, and fans eagerly await the moment when Wolfsburg’s efforts will be rewarded.