Real Madrid Femenino 2-0 VfL Wolfsburg: Nine-Player Madrid Stun Wolfsburg in UWCL

Real Madrid Femenino produced one of the gutsiest performances of the 2025/26 UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase tonight, beating VfL Wolfsburg 2-0 at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano despite finishing the game with just nine players. A María Méndez header and a lethal Linda Caicedo breakaway sealed the points, while Misa Rodríguez’s heroics and Wolfsburg’s astonishing wastefulness in front of goal completed a result that will be talked about for years. In a match that had everything set-piece mastery, lightning counters, two red cards, a lengthy VAR check, and five minutes of stoppage-time chaos, Pau Quesada’s side somehow kept one of Europe’s most decorated teams scoreless despite conceding 64 % possession and 19 shots. For Wolfsburg, it was a night of “what ifs”: three big chances missed, an xG of roughly 2.1 generated, and zero goals scored.

First Half Overview

The opening period was a tale of Wolfsburg’s early pressure met with Madrid’s resolute defending and opportunistic set-piece execution. Wolfsburg started brightly, their 4-2-3-1 allowing Minge and Peddemors to control the midfield battle, completing 84% of their passes in the half and pinning Madrid back. Their heatmap lit up in the central and right channels, where Huth and Levels overlapped to deliver eight crosses, though only 27% found targets. In the 2nd minute, Peddemors fired wide from the edge of the box after a quick turnover, setting the tone for Wolfsburg’s dominance in duels 51% ground duels won overall, but edging it early.

Madrid, absorbing the onslaught, focused on compact lines and interceptions (12 total, seven in the first half), with Angeldahl shielding the back four admirably. Their passing network was disjointed initially, with only 71% accuracy, but they grew into the game by exploiting Wolfsburg’s high line. The first big chance fell to Wolfsburg in the 6th minute: a corner swung in by Huth led to Peddemors’ header saved by Misa, followed by Minge’s close-range nod also denied a double opportunity with combined xG of about 0.6, both from set pieces, where Wolfsburg’s aerial prowess (40% duels won) shone, but Misa’s positioning proved crucial.

Madrid’s response came via their own corners, earning six in the match but making the most of them early. In the 4th minute, Weir’s delivery was blocked after Navarro’s assist, but the breakthrough arrived in the 19th: Navarro’s corner from the right found Méndez unmarked at the near post for a powerful header into the roof of the net (xG ~0.15, but perfectly executed). This set-piece goal shifted momentum subtly, as Madrid’s left-sided attacks intensified, with Feller and Caicedo combining for 16 touches in the box overall.

Controversy brewed as discipline frayed. In the 32nd, Peddemors earned a yellow for hauling down Caicedo on a break, halting a potential big chance. Lakrar followed suit in the 41st with a cynical foul on Popp, and just before halftime in the 46th, she received a second yellow for impeding Beerensteyn in the attacking third, a harsh but fair call that left Madrid down to 10. The referee’s decisions sparked debate, with Wolfsburg feeling aggrieved over earlier non-calls, but the red card swung momentum back their way momentarily. Wolfsburg nearly equalized in added time, Peddemors’ close-range shot saved by Misa (xG 0.4), but halftime arrived with Madrid leading 1-0 despite Wolfsburg’s 7 shots to five.

Standouts included Méndez, whose goal and five clearances anchored Madrid’s defense, while Peddemors underperformed for Wolfsburg, missing two chances and committing a foul for her booking. Momentum ebbed toward Wolfsburg mid-half due to their possession (64%), but Madrid’s goal and red card created a tense, fragmented close.

Second Half Overview

Down a player, Madrid introduced Rocío Gálvez for Redondo at the break, shifting to a 4-4-1 that prioritized recovery (46 total, 21 post-interval) and counterattacks. Wolfsburg, sensing vulnerability, ramped up their assault, their heatmap showing even heavier concentration in Madrid’s half, with 56 final-third entries. They racked up twelve shots in the second half alone, but accuracy waned, with five blocked and four off target.

Early chances fell to Wolfsburg: Minge’s 50th-minute effort missed after a corner (xG 0.2), and Popp’s 55th-minute header sailed wide from Linder’s cross (xG 0.3, a big miss as she outjumped Yasmim). Dijkstra’s 56th-minute yellow for fouling Feller disrupted their rhythm, but Lerch’s double substitution in the 61st, Lena Lattwein for Linder and Thea Bjelde for Peddemor, aimed to inject energy, evolving their setup into a more fluid 4-3-3 with Lattwein pushing forward. This paid dividends in possession but not conversion; Popp missed again in the 61st (xG 0.25), and Lattwein’s 63rd-minute shot was blocked.

Madrid, however, struck against the run of play in the 67th: Weir intercepted a loose pass from Minge and released Caicedo on a fast break, the Colombian slotting home with her right foot from central position (xG ~0.45, a clinical finish that exemplified Madrid’s 59% final-third pass accuracy). This goal, Madrid’s second big chance converted, deflated Wolfsburg and triggered further changes, Guro Bergsvand and Cora Zicai for Dijkstra and Bussy in the 73rd, adding defensive steel and width.

Substitutions impacted both sides profoundly. Madrid’s 79th-minute swaps, Athenea del Castillo for Feller and Iris Santiago for Caicedo, bolstered their flanks, but injuries to Beerensteyn and Caicedo caused delays. Wolfsburg’s Justine Kielland for Minge in the 84th sought creativity, but their best chance came in the 71st: Popp’s left-footed strike from Bussy’s assist, saved spectacularly by Misa (xG 0.5, the game’s biggest miss, as Popp failed to convert from prime position).

Madrid’s resilience shone through Weir’s 76th-minute miss on another break (left-footed, high; xG ~0.3), but controversy peaked in stoppage time. After a 91st-minute VAR check for a possible red, Iris Ashley (likely a reference to substitute Santiago in the heat of the moment) was sent off in the 92nd for fouling Johannes, reducing Madrid to nine. The decision, stemming from a defensive-half tussle, felt severe amid fatigue, but Wolfsburg couldn’t capitalize in the five added minutes.

Momentum swung decisively after Caicedo’s goal, as Wolfsburg’s recoveries (45 total) dropped, their frustration evident in fouls (seven overall). Popp underperformed glaringly, missing three headers and a shot despite eight duels won, while Caicedo dazzled with her goal, two saves forced (including a 53rd-minute effort), and dribbles (46% success). Misa’s six saves (two big) were heroic, contrasting Johannes’ two.

In the end, Madrid’s tactical adaptability and set-piece efficiency overcame Wolfsburg’s volume-based approach. The Germans’ three missed big chances, epitomized by Popp’s failures, contrasted with Madrid’s ruthlessness, yielding a deserved win that boosts their knockout hopes. For Wolfsburg, this defeat exposes finishing frailties despite superior stats, setting up a tense final matchday.

Player Ratings

Player of the Match: Miria Rodríguez (Real Madrid)