Rapid started the match in positive mood and were quickly playing a delightful passing brand of football that had applause ringing round the stadium. The joy in the stands was raised a further notch in the 13th minute when a sublime Guido Burgstaller strike from the edge of the box gave the Green & Whites a deserved lead. One for the archives from Guido!The visitors looked giddy as they struggled to repel wave after wave of Rapid attacks. The lead was nearly doubled on 21 minutes: Christopher Trimmel latched onto a cross from man of the moment Burgstaller but his effort narrowly cleared the crossbar. Sturm were again clinging on as further efforts from Burgstaller and Trimmel reigned down on the beleaguered visitors. Lukas Grozurek get on the end of some wonderful interlocking passing, but his 29th minute close range shot was beaten away by the overworked Graz goalie Gratzei. Trimmel picked out Prager beautifully minutes before half time but he couldn't convert and Rapid had to settle for a slender one goal advantage. The signs were positive at the start of the second period Rapid came out and got back on top. However Sturm were beginning to show more in the attacking – an ominous sign perhaps. The cruel nature of football was highlighted on the hour mark: Rubin Okotie went past Mario Sonnleitner to fashion the visitors first opportunity of the afternoon and fired the ball past Königshofer to give the visitors a barely merited equaliser. Schöttel turned to the bench for answers and threw on his attacking options in Atdhe Nuhiu, Christopher Drazan and Gartler. However it was Graz who nearly stole the win in the 90th minute with Rapid grateful to Königshofer for keeping them in the hunt for a point. The whistle went and a frustrating afternoon for the Hütteldorfers came to end. Somehow Sturm had escaped with a point, but with leaders Salzburg only three points clear in the race for the Bundesliga crown, there is still everything to play for in what looks like being a nail-biting season finale. tipp3-Bundesliga, 31st round: SK Rapid - Sturm Graz 1:1 (1:0)Hanappi-Stadion, 17.300, Referee Gangl Goals: 1:0 G. Burgstaller (13.), 1:1 Okotie (61.) SK Rapid: Königshofer - Schimpelsberger, Sonnleitner, Soma, Schrammel - Heikkinen, Prager - Trimmel, G. Burgstaller (66./Nuhiu), Grozurek (67./Drazan) - Alar (87./Gartler) Sturm Graz: Gratzei - Standfest, Neuhold, T. Burgstaller, Klem - Koch - Hölzl (85./Ehrenreich), Kröpfl, Bukva, Kainz - Okotie (92./Haas) Yellow Cards: Heikkinen Okotie, Ehrenreich (gw)
02.05.2012