Football: Wolfsburg and Galatasaray secure Champions League spots

Wolfsburg and Galatasaray secure Champions League spots

VfL Wolfsburg and Galatasaray S.K. booked their places in the UEFA Women's Champions League group stage on Wednesday, securing victories in their respective qualifying round matches.

Wolfsburg, the 2013 and 2014 champions, defeated FC Gintra Universitetas 6-0 in Lithuania, with Tabea Waßmuth scoring a hat-trick. Galatasaray, meanwhile, beat FC Flora Tallinn 1-0 in Estonia, thanks to a goal from Ebru Topçu.

Wolfsburg dominates Gintra

Wolfsburg dominated the match against Gintra from the outset, with Waßmuth opening the scoring in the 10th minute. Ewa Pajor added a second goal just five minutes later, and Waßmuth completed her hat-trick in the 35th minute.

Wolfsburg continued to pour forward in the second half, with Pajor scoring her second goal of the game in the 55th minute. Lena Oberdorf made it 5-0 in the 65th minute, and Waßmuth added her fourth goal of the game in the 80th minute to complete the scoring.

Galatasaray edges Flora

The match between Galatasaray and Flora was a much closer affair, with both sides having chances to win the game.

Galatasaray took the lead in the 25th minute when Topçu scored from close range. Flora had a chance to equalize in the second half, but they were unable to convert their chances.

Galatasaray held on to secure the victory and book their place in the Champions League group stage for the first time in the club's history.

Wolfsburg and Galatasaray join Bayern Munich in group stage

Wolfsburg and Galatasaray will join Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stage, which will be drawn on Friday.

The group stage will begin on October 20, with the final scheduled for May 21, 2023.