The opening stages of the game had everything we have come to expect in the big games: total commitment, full blooded challenges, goal mouth action and controversial decisions. The first chance came in the opening minute, when Robert Beric fed the ball into Louis Schaub whose shot on the turn just missed the target (1.). Minutes later Rapid were in the driving seat as Sturm were reduced to ten: a super defence splitting pass from Thanos Petsos played Flo Kainz in behind the Graz defence, only for the wideman to be upended by Sturm defender Ehrenreich, who received a red card and an early bath for his troubles (4.). With eighty five minutes still on the clock Rapid had a man advantage. A Steffen Hofmann free kick was then deflected narrowly wide (4.), before the Hütteldorfer skipper was shown a yellow card by referee Muckenhammer who adjudged Hofmann to have gone down too easily in the Sturm box.  Deserved lead at half time The early tempo was then subdued somewhat by the canny guests who slowly recovered from their early set back to find their way back into the game. An Offenbacher shot tested Jan Novota, back in goal for the first time since the new year having recovered from injury, as Sturm sent out a reminder that they still presented a threat going forwards despite their numerical disadvantage (38.). As half time approached Rapid ramped the pressure back up: a Stefan Schwab header just missed the target (44.), but there was still time for another effort on goal, an effort that finally yielded the breakthrough: Louis Schaub found Thomas Schrammel, whose pin point cross was headed home from close range by Robert Beric - 1:0 (45.)! The goal was in form Beric's third in as many games against his old club, and also his third in his last three Bundesliga outings.  Green & Whites comfortably hold off Graz in second half Rapid emerged for the second half having made no changes to the starting line up, but the tempo and rhythm from the first half was lacking for much of the second period. A Louis Schaub effort that cleared the bar (65.) was as close as either team came to scoring during the forty-five, despite Zoran Barisic making all three allowed substitutions, introducing Philipp Prosenik, Dominik Starkl and Deni Alar for the closing stages. The 15,200 strong crowd were left to celebrate an enormously important three points against a dangerous opponent. Up next is direct rival in the table Altach, and a chance to begin cementing second place. Trainer Zoran Barisic: "We produced a good performance but sometimes lost our rhythm. We made chances, took one, and are pleased to have claimed three points against a strong opponent. Our chance conversion was poor - I had the feeling the the team were trying to give me a heart attack on the sidelines! But the most important thing is to create chances. For the suspended Beric another player will come in against Altach, hungry and ready to take his chance." tipico Bundesliga, Match Day 22SK Rapid - Sturm Graz 1:0 (1:0)Ernst-Happel-Stadion, 15.200 Attendance, Ref MuckenhammerGoal: 1:0 Beric (45.)SK Rapid: Novota - Pavelic, Sonnleitner, M. Hofmann, Schrammel - Petsos, Schwab - S. Hofmann (83. Alar), Schaub (72. Starkl), F. Kainz - Beric (90. Prosenik)Sturm Graz: Gratzei - Ehrenreich, Spendlhofer, Madl, Klem - Schick, Piesinger, Hadzic, Offenbacher (73. Avdijaj), Schmerböck (46. Gruber) - Edomwonyi (69. Kienast)Yellow Cards: S. Hofmann, Schwab, Beric Schick, Kienast, HadzicRed Card: Ehrenreich (4./denying a clear goal scoring opportunity) (gw)
03.03.2015