Saturday evening proved to be one of those occasions when not taking your chances comes back to haunt you. Zoran Barisic and his side must still be wondering how Admira managed to escape with a point from a contest dominated by a free flowing Rapid. Christopher Dibon returned to the starting line-up against the South City side, with Max Hofmann only fit enough for a place on the bench having struggled with a knock during the week’s training. The game would result in an unsatisfactory draw: the fourth this season against Admira. Everything but the goalWith a healthy 13.800 crowd in attendance the Green & Whites set about carving their opponents open and creating opportunities. Unsurprisingly Rapid started in confident mood, looking fresh, energetic and full of attacking purpose. A Robert Beric header in the 7th minute was a first sight of goal for the Hütteldorfers, against whom an under pressure Admira side had already adopted backs to the wall tactics. Just five minutes later it looked as if the breakthrough would arrive: a searching pass from Flo Kainz from inside his own half split the Admira defence, playing Philipp Schobesbeger in through the inside right channel. The in-form Schobesberger moved into the penalty area, reversed the ball onto his left foot and shot, but his marker re-adjusted his feet in time to get in a crucial block (12.). Schobesberger then turned provider, turning ex-Rapidler Lukas Grozurek inside out down the right flank before crossing to Kainz, whose low shot from twelve yards out was saved by Admira keeper Siebenhandl (21.). The chances kept coming as Mario Sonnleitner turned a Deni Alar free-kick just wide with his chest having found himself in acres of space at the near post (29.). Siebenhandl was again called into action in the 33rd minute, this time to deny Robert Beric from a tight angle. Incredibly Admira managed to cling on until the half time break.Super Schobesberger at it againThe flow of the game changed little in the second half, with Rapid hammering away at a wobbly Admira defence the guests, for their part, clinging on to what would be a valuable point in their battle to avoid the drop. The first head-in-hands moment for Rapid fans in the second half came when Flo Kainz lashed a vicious left footed drive against the crossbar from what looked an impossible angle, outside the left hand side of the box, just meters from the by-line (56.). Steffen Hofmann was sent on by Zoran Barisic to help pick the lock as Rapid continued to push, and continued to be denied: Siebenhandl pulled of tremendous saves in quick succession firstly from Schobesberger who had been played in by Stefan Schwab then from Schwab himself, who had been set up by a delightful touch from the newly introduced Hofmann. Finally the richly deserved goal arrived: Flo Kainz played the ball into Schobesberger just inside the right corner of the penalty, who, in what is becoming typical fashion, skipped past three defenders before arrowing a low right footed bullet past Siebenhandl and into the far left hand corner - 1:0 and palpable relief around the Ernst-Happel-Stadium (70.)! Just seconds later Schobesberger picked the ball up on the left hand side of the penalty area, danced inside two Admira defenders and unleashed a rasping, curling effort that crashed into the angle of post and crossbar and cannoned away to safety (72.). The Admira goal was leading an incredibly charmed life. Rapid stunnedAfter all their hard work and excellent football, the Hütteldorfers were incredibly - and controversially - pegged back ten minutes from time. An Admira corner was only partially punched away by Novota, Ouedraogo turned the ball back into the danger area, where it was bundled in by Sulimani from a couple of yards out - 1:1 (80.). However replays confirmed what Novota had suspected: as the ball came into Sulimani, Novota had advanced beyond the Admira goal scorer, leaving only Thomas Schrammel goal side. A Clear case of offside, but it didn’t matter: the linesman didn’t raise his flag and Admira somehow escaped with a point. tipico Bundesliga, Match Day 30SK Rapid - Admira 1:1 (0:0)Ernst-Happel-Stadion, 13.800 Attendance, Ref SchörgenhoferGoals: 1:0 Schobesberger (70.), 1:1 Sulimani (80.)SK Rapid: Novota - Pavelic, Sonnleitner, Dibon, Schrammel - Petsos (91./Prosenik), Schwab - Schobesberger, Alar (65./St. Hofmann), F. Kainz (85./Starkl) - BericAdmira Wacker: Siebenhandl - Zwierschitz, Wostry (36./Schößwendter), Katzer, Ebner - Lackner (73./B. Sulimani) - Bajrami, Malicsek, Kerschbaumer, Grozurek (46./Auer) - OuedraogoYellow Cards: Schobesberger Ouedraogo, Schößwendter, Malicsek(gw)
27.04.2015