Sports Mole previews Thursday’s Women’s Champions League clash between Valerenga Women and Bayern Munich Women, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Bayern Munich Women will look to extend their unbeaten run to seven matches in all competitions when they travel to Norway for Thursday’s Women’s Super League clash with Valerenga Women.
The German side are sitting top of Group C with a perfect record, while Valerenga are down at the bottom of the standings.
Match preview
Valerenga had to negotiate qualifying ties against Farul Constanta and Anderlecht to reach the Women’s Champions League group stage for the first time.
The Norwegian side have struggled in the first half of the group stage, having failed to take anything from their three matches.
After suffering a narrow home defeat against Juventus, Valerenga have gone on to suffer heavy away defeats in their meetings with Arsenal and Bayern Munich.
They were beaten 4-1 on their trip to the Emirates Stadium, before they failed to trouble the scorers in last week’s 3-0 loss to Bayern in Germany.
With six points separating them from the top two, Valerenga will be eliminated with two games left to play if they lose and Arsenal avoid defeat against Juventus, or if they draw and the Gunners take maximum points from the group’s other game.
© Imago
In contrast to their hosts, Bayern are on the brink of reaching the quarter-finals after taking maximum points from their three group games.
The German champions kicked off their European campaign with a 5-2 home win over Arsenal, before they recorded a 2-0 victory in their away clash with Juventus on matchday two.
Bayern enjoyed another successful outing in last week’s home game against Valerenga, with Pernille Harder, Giulia Gwinn and Sara Zadrazil all finding the net in a 3-0 victory.
Alexander Straus‘s side produced another dominant performance to record a 5-0 win in Sunday’s Frauen-Bundesliga meeting with Carl Zeiss Jena, extending their unbeaten run to six matches in all competitions.
They will now turn their focus back to European action, and they will be fully aware that they will secure a quarter-final place if they win and Juventus fail to beat Arsenal, while a draw will be enough if the Gunners emerge victorious.
Valerenga Women Women’s Champions League form:
Valerenga Women form (all competitions):
Bayern Munich Women Women’s Champions League form:
Bayern Munich Women form (all competitions):
Team News
© Imago
The hosts are having to cope without the services of Jalen Tompkins, Stine Brekken, Selma Pettersen, Thea Bjelde, Tuva Espas and Mimmi Lofwenius.
Tove Enblom is set to feature between the posts, with the goalkeeper expected to be shielded by a back three of Sara Horte, Elise Thorsnes and Iselin Olsen.
Karina Saevik is likely to be given the responsibility of leading the line, and she will be looking to add to the 18 competitive goals that she has scored for Valerenga in 2024.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Mala Grohs is out for an identified period after she revealed on Saturday that she has been diagnosed with cancer.
Bayern also announced that they had extended Grohs’ contract by a year until 2026 “so that she can focus on her recovery”.
In regard to injuries, Bayern are unable to call upon Katharina Naschenweng, Sydney Lohmann, Lena Oberdorf and Franziska Kett.
Valerenga Women possible starting lineup:
Enblom; Horte, Thorsnes, Olsen; Thomsen, Vickius, Tennebo, Heidarsdottir; Godo, Tvedten; Saevik
Bayern Munich Women possible starting lineup:
Mahmutovic; Gwinn, Viggosdottir, Sembrant, Hansen; Zadrazil, Stanway; Zawistowska, Dallman, Buhl; Harder
We say: Valerenga Women 1-3 Bayern Munich Women
Bayern will be full of confidence after winning their last two matches by a combined 8-0 scoreline, and we think that they will produce another dominant display to sweep past Valerenga to secure their place in the quarter-finals with two games left to play.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
