Overview The Wolfsburg head coach, Stephan Lerch, is keen for his team to be unpredictable. The more unpredictable the better. There is always the possibility he and his coaching team will come up with something new, whether it is suddenly a change in tactics mid-game or a player making a surprising positional switch. Wolfsburg often start in a 4-2-3-1 formation with two attacking full-backs pushing very high but, depending on how the game develops, they often switch to three at the back and two strikers. Die Wölfinnen won their fourth league title in a row – the sixth in their history – in the summer along with a fifth straight German Cup. While leagues in other countries were cancelled, the Frauen-Bundesliga returned following a three-month break because of coronavirus. Wolfsburg then played the Cup final against SGS Essen on 4 July, which they won on penalties, and after a short break the team returned to training on 28 July. Lerch said: “It’s a big challenge, because there’s barely any time to integrate our new players and explain our tactics in detail. After all, the truth will be found on the pitch in Spain.” The two-times Champions League winners head into the tournament injury-free, with Almuth Schult the only absentee, having given birth to twins in April. In their only friendly before the tournament, VfL beat Eintracht Frankfurt 5-2 last Friday. “We approached it like a title game. We have to be spot on against Glasgow [in the quarter-final],” Lerch said. Which players have the club signed this summer and can be used from the quarter-finals? Wolfsburg made a few, but selective, signings this summer and all are available. Pauline Bremer (Manchester City), Kathrin Hendrich (Bayern Munich) and Katarzyna Kiedrzynek (PSG) were free transfers while Lena Oberdorf, who arrived from Essen and is seen as one of the most talented young players in the world, cost a five-figure sum. Bremer can play across the attack and will help Wolfsburg become even more unpredictable. Hendrich will help strengthen the defence while the versatile Oberdorf can play at centre-back or in midfield. The 18-year-old was the youngest Germany Women player to feature at a World Cup and is a formidable physical presence, wherever she plays. Kiedrzynek will be the favourite to play in goal but she is facing serious competition from Friederike Abt, who saved two penalties in the Cup final. Head coach Lerch has been with the club since 2013, first as coach of the reserves and then, from 2015, as one of Ralf Kellermann’s assistants. Two years later he replaced Kellermann, who is now the sporting director. The players say he is a very good communicator and appreciate the way he educates them about the game. Last week he announced that the upcoming season will be his last in charge. Lerch may not have had a career in management if his wife hadn’t registered him for a coaching course as a surprise for his 21st birthday. He originally studied sport and biology and wanted to become a teacher. Star player There’s only one answer: Pernille Harder. The Danish international is undoubtedly one of the best players the world has seen. The 27-year-old joined VfL in 2017 and has, in the past three years, developed into a world-class player. Her reading of the game is almost unrivalled, her finishing ice-cool. The numbers speak for themselves: in 111 games for Wolfsburg, she has scored 101 goals. “There’s no other player like her,” Lerch says. Off the pitch she is positively vocal about LGBTQ+ issues, equal rights and racism. Did you know? Alexandra Popp is a trained zookeeper and, after joining Wolfsburg in 2012 she started working at Tierpark Essehof. Animals have always been a big part of the Germany international’s life and while she has stopped working at the zoo since becoming a full-time professional player, she still visits it regularly. Which player could surprise everyone in Spain? Oberdorf is still a player unknown to many international viewers. You may have seen her in action for Germany but considering domestic games are still not shown in many other countries she is the player most likely to attract new admirers. She will make her Champions League debut and describes the competition to be the one “where you prove yourself and face the best teams in the world”. What is the realistic aim for Wolfsburg in the WCL? They are among the favourites and cannot face their biggest rivals, Lyon, until the final. European pedigree Wolfsburg won the Champions League in 2013 and 2014, the start of a very successful time for the club. But since they lost to PSG in the 2015 semi-finals they have been eliminated by Lyon every year. The two finals, in 2016 and 2018, have been the closest they have come to winning, losing the first on penalties and the second after extra time.