Wolfsburg women lose badly against Leipzig in their first friendly!

Wolfsburg women lose badly against Leipzig in their first friendly!

VfL Wolfsburg started the new season with a first tough test on July 17, 2025, but was defeated 2-3 against RB Leipzig. Under the returning head coach Stephan Lerch, the Wolfsburg women had an insightful first test match that served as an assessment of their position. Things started well in the 12th minute: Vivien Endemann gave the team a 1-0 lead. But the joy only lasted for a short time. Shortly before half-time, in the first minute of injury time, Annabel Schasching equalized for Leipzig. And just a minute later, Mai Kadowaki gave Leipzig the lead (2-1).

But the she-wolves showed fighting spirit! Endemann scored again in the 39th minute and made it 2-2. Unfortunately it took until the 82nd minute when Marleen Schimmer scored the decisive 3-2 for the hosts. This game was an exciting start, our team has the next chance to prove itself against Sparta Prague in Calberlah on July 26th. And the omens could be more favorable, because although Leipzig had already played a friendly match, Wolfsburg had started training shortly beforehand, which could certainly have an impact on their fitness.

Staff availability and challenges

In this first encounter, VfL had to do without a few key players. Players taking part in the European Championship, such as Stina Johannes and Janina Minge, were not available. A total of 11 Wolfsburg players are in action - a real loss for the team! These include five in the German national team as well as three Norwegians and two Dutch players. The majority will return to the team after the end of the European Championships on July 27th.

The line-up for the friendly against Leipzig showed the depth of the squad, although some players were missing. Smolarczyk was in goal for Wolfsburg, supported by Wedemeyer, Küver, Papp and Pujols in defense. In midfield, Endemann, Lattwein, Peddemors and Bussy dared to attack attentively, while Huth and Popp tried their chances up front but were unsuccessful. Leipzig goalkeeper Von Schrader and her defenders, including Krug and Landenberger, had their hands full, but proved to be stubborn opponents. Referee Christine Weigelt led the exciting duel.

Outlook for the next test games

Wolfsburg is preparing for a total of four test matches before the start of the season, including encounters with Bundesliga rivals and international opponents. The next friendly against Sparta Prague will be a home game in Calberlah and this game has particularly great potential as Sparta are the Czech Republic's runners-up. This gives the team the opportunity to improve and eliminate the weaknesses that became apparent in the game against Leipzig.

• 2. Testspiel: 26. Juli gegen Sparta Prag (Heimspiel in Calberlah)
• 3. Testspiel: 10. August gegen Union Berlin (AOK-Stadion)
• 4. Testspiel: 22. August gegen Bayer Leverkusen (Weimarer Land)

The start of the season is also just around the corner: on August 30, 2025, the Supercup will take place against FC Bayern Munich. This encounter already promises great excitement, especially after the narrow loss in last year's final. The start of the Bundesliga will then take place between September 5th and 8th.

Preparations are in full swing and while things didn't go quite well in the first test match, the team remains optimistic and full of energy for the challenges ahead. It will be exciting to see how the Wolves develop after their return and the hard-earned lessons from the game against Leipzig.

For more information about the game and upcoming test matches, visit the website VfL Wolfsburg, kicker.de and Wolf Blog.