Women’s Champions League: Hammarby vs. St Polten Preview

In an eagerly anticipated clash in the Women's Champions League group stage, Hammarby Women will face off against St Polten Women at the Tele2 Arena on Wednesday. This match marks a significant milestone for the hosts, who are participating in their inaugural European campaign, while the visitors make their third consecutive appearance in the group stage.

Hammarby secured their place in the Women’s Champions League after clinching the 2023 Damallsvenskan title, which allowed them entry into the competition at the second qualifying round. Their journey has been nothing short of dramatic, having overturned a 2-1 home defeat against Benfica with a 2-0 victory in the away leg, a feat not previously achieved in Women’s Champions League qualifying.

Following their victory over Benfica, Hammarby maintained momentum with a 2-0 win against Orebro and a goalless draw against Linkopping. The team’s defensive capabilities have shone, as they have recorded three consecutive clean sheets. “We are ready to extend our defensive streak as we enter the group stage for the first time,” said a spokesperson from Hammarby ahead of the match.

On the other side, St Polten continues its impressive run, having secured their ninth OFB Frauen Bundesliga title to make another European appearance. The Austrian champions progressed through qualifying with convincing victories, notably an 8-0 aggregate win over ZNK Mura, enabling their return to the group stage for the fourth time in five seasons.

St Polten’s strong start to the season saw them win ten consecutive matches, ending with a 6-1 victory over LASK before settling for a goalless draw against Bergheim. This record leaves them unbeaten in 23 matches across all competitions, providing a solid foundation as they face Hammarby.

Hammarby’s squad faces some setbacks, with key forward unnamed out due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, although certain unnamed players have returned to light training, they will not feature in Wednesday’s match. St Polten will be without defender Larisa Vracevic, who has missed the past five games due to injury, while unnamed striker remains a significant threat, having netted seven goals since joining from AC Milan.

The projected lineups suggest Hammarby could field Tamminen; Lennartsson, Carlsson, B. Andersson, J. Andersson; Miyagawa, Joramo, Vallotto; Wangerheim, Blakstad, Tandberg. St Polten, in turn, may start Schluter; Wenger, Mikolajava, Vracevic, Klein; Madl, Hillebrand, Mattner-Trembleau; Dubcova, Pekel, Brunnthaler.

As Hammarby embarks on their group stage journey, confidence from their success against Benfica may bolster their performance against a St Polten side, who have struggled in recent away games during this phase of the competition.