Wolfsburg face defending Serie A champions Juventus in the playoff stage of the Women’s Champions League on Thursday evening. The first leg will be played at the AOK Stadion before the return fixture in Turin next midweek, with the winners progressing to the quarter finals.

The Frauen Bundesliga side has only played one competitive match in 2026, with weather conditions leading to postponements of two encounters, including last weekend’s matchday 17 fixture away at Werder Bremen. Stephan Lerch’s side is currently second in the league standings with 12 wins from their 15 games.

Kick-off: 17:45 UTC, February 12, 2026
Venue: AOK Stadion, Wolfsburg
TV: DAZN

Beerensteyn Returns to Face Former Club

Lineth Beerensteyn, who is the top scorer for She Wolves this season with 13 goals in all competitions, will play against the club she spent two seasons with after leaving Bayern in 2022. This adds genuine spice to the encounter, with the Dutch international eager to prove a point against her former employers.

In Europe, Wolfsburg started their campaign with a couple of wins, but losing the final league phase games to Real Madrid and Chelsea led them to enter the playoff round instead of automatic qualification to the quarter finals. This is frankly disappointing for a club of Wolfsburg’s stature.

Juventus Riding High After Five Straight Wins

Since losing 2-1 to Inter, Massimiliano Canzi’s team won each of their last five games in all competitions. Paulina Krumbiegel will return to her home country after the German international finally scored her first Serie A goal of the season in Saturday’s 2-0 win in Como.

Defender Camilla Kuver will be unavailable after a minor knee injury against Koln.

Predicted Lineups

Wolfsburg (4-2-3-1): Johannes; Linder, Kleinherne, Wedemeyer, Pujols; Minge, Peddemors; Huth, Popp, Bussy; Beerensteyn

Juventus (4-3-3): de Jong; Calligaris, Harviken, Kullberg, Carbonell; Walti, Schatzer; Bonansea; Pinto, Beccari, Girelli

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Brighton have rejected three bids from Juventus for Fran Kirby as the Serie A club intensifies their pursuit of the former England international.

Despite the player’s reported openness to a switch to Italy, the WSL outfit remain unwilling to negotiate, viewing the 32 year old as irreplaceable in their attacking ranks.

Italian reporter Mauro Munno claimed that Kirby has given the green light for a move to Juventus, but Brighton are determined to keep their star asset. The club considers Kirby non transferable at this stage of the season, with transfer negotiations showing no signs of progressing.

Why Juventus Came Calling

Juventus are desperate to address their goalscoring problems in Italy. The Bianconeri sit second in the Women’s Serie A behind Roma but have only scored 10 goals in nine games, a record worse than six other clubs in the eleven team league. This defensive vulnerability has left them five points adrift of leaders Roma, despite maintaining the league’s best defensive record.

Kirby presents an experienced solution to their attacking woes. Since joining Brighton in summer 2024, she has scored 11 goals and provided three assists in 30 appearances. While her output is lower than her Chelsea days, when she netted 105 goals in 192 matches, her presence would still significantly boost Juventus’s second half campaign and their upcoming Champions League playoff against Wolfsburg.

Brighton’s Stance Remains Resolute

Brighton cannot afford to lose Kirby given their current injury concerns. Michelle Agyemang’s season ending ACL injury has depleted their attacking options, and losing another key player would seriously damage their hopes of maintaining last season’s top half finish. Manager Dario Vidosic has made clear his desire to keep the experienced attacker at the Amex.

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Elsa Pelgander has joined Djurgarden on a permanent transfer from Juventus Women after spending the past year on loan at the Swedish club. The 19 year old midfielder leaves Turin having made eight appearances for the Bianconeri first team across all competitions since joining in January 2024.

Pelgander’s move to Djurgarden was made official on January 3, bringing an end to her spell in Italy. The Swedish youth international also featured in several Primavera matches during her time at Juventus, gaining valuable development experience with the club’s academy teams.

Limited First Team Opportunities

The teenager struggled to break into Juventus’ first team on a regular basis, making just eight senior appearances over 12 months. Her loan move to Djurgarden provided more consistent playing time in familiar surroundings as she returned to Swedish football.

Juventus wished Pelgander well for the future after finalizing the permanent transfer. The club has been active in the transfer market with several comings and goings, including the high profile signing of Switzerland captain Lia Wälti from Arsenal in September 2025.

Return to Swedish Football

The permanent move allows Pelgander to establish herself at Djurgarden after her successful loan spell. The Stockholm based club compete in the Damallsvenskan, Sweden’s top division, where the midfielder will look to develop her career at a higher level than the Primavera.

Juventus Women currently sit in Serie A Femminile’s top positions as they chase domestic and European success. The departure of Pelgander frees up space in their squad as manager Joe Montemurro continues building his team for the second half of the season.

Djurgarden will hope Pelgander can make an immediate impact when Swedish football resumes following the winter break.

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