125 JAHRE SK RAPID
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14.02.2018

Below par Hütteldorfers defeated at Admira

On Sunday, Rapid made the second trip of the season to Südstadt to take on Admira. The Hütteldorfers were returning to the site of their only away league defeat this season, and against their bogey side again struggled to produce a performance in a tepid first half. The best the hosts could manage was two headed half-chances: the first came from Kaladjzic, who headed over Scherzer's cross (9.); the second from Hausjell, who again failed to get his header on target and test Richard Strebinger (20).

Throughout the first half, Rapid struggled badly to impose themselves and create openings. With too many technical failures and lapses in concentration, Goran Djuricin's team failed to manufacture any chances of note. Minutes before half-time there was some goal mouth action for the onlookers to get excited about, albeit at the wrong end of the pitch from a Green & White perspective: Zwierschitz stole in to steer the ball towards the bottom left-hand corner of the Rapid net, but Richard Strebinger got down brilliantly to turn the effort round the post (43.).

The half-time break combined with some probably harsh words from the trainer team apparently did the trick, as a different Rapid outfit altogether emerged for the start of the second period. Switched-on, motivated and slick, the Green & Whites began creating chances. The first arrived five minutes after the restart when Joelinton fed Veton Berisha, who could only volley straight down Admira keeper Kuttin’s throat from an excellent position. Rapid ad finally found their rhythm and began to click into gear. Schobesberger picked out Petsos with a cross, but the midfielder got the timing of his leap wrong and could only guide the ball over the bar (56.). Full-back Mario Pavelic then got in on the act, scything past two or three Admira defenders before drilling a powerful low effort inches wide of the far post (60.).

Just minutes later, Rapid came out on the wrong side of a controversial decision. Good play from Stephan Auer saw the ball fed into Joelinton's feet in the penalty, only for the Brazilian to lose the ball after a lunging shoulder charge from Maier (63.). Much to the consternation of the Hütteldorfer bench, the referee waived away Rapid's appeals. Frustration was compounded soon afterwards, as Kalajdzic slid a well-weighted pass into the path of Hausjell, who fired a low rocket across Strebinger and into the far corner - 0:1 (69.). As the game edged towards the final ten minutes, Rapid could - and should - have levelled, not least when Joelinton blazed a rebound over the bar with Kuttin beaten and the goal at his mercy (77.).

Finally, a long overdue equaliser did arrive via the boot of Philipp Schobesberger: better known for getting in behind defences with his searing pace, this time Schobesberger received the ball on the edge of the penalty and bent beautifully curved shot beyond the reach of the Admira keeper to haul the Green & Whites level - 1:1 and richly deserved (86.)! Rapid nearly turned the game on its head in the first minute of injury time, but again Joelinton spurned the simplest of chances, heading wide when unmarked from the edge of the six-yard box (91.). With it looking like Rapid would have to make do with an underwhelming point, there was to be a most unwelcome sting in the tail. Deep into injury time Admira were awarded a free-kick outside the Rapid box; Mario Pavelic looked to head the ball away to safety, but only succeeding in glancing a header past the stranded Strebinger and into his own goal - 1:2 (93.). Pavelic's unfortunate effort was virtually the last kick of the game, and Rapid were condemned to a bitterly disappointing defeat.  

(gw)

tipico-Bundesliga, 22nd round:
Admira - SK Rapid 2:1 (0:0)
Maria Enzersdorf, BSFZ-Arena, 3.200 Attendance, Ref Heiß

Goals: 1:0 Hausjell (69.), 1:1 Schobesberger (86.), 2:1 Pavelic (92./Own Goal);

Admira: Kuttin - Zwierschitz, Lackner, Petlach, Scherzer - Vorsager (62./Maier), Ebner - Hausjell (72./Merkel), Kalajdzic, Grozurek - Jakolis (87./L. Malicsek);

SK Rapid: Strebinger - Pavelic, M. Hofmann, Galvao, Auer - Petsos (82./Kvilitaia), Ljubicic - Ve. Berisha (66./Szanto), Murg, Schobesberger - Joelinton;

Yellow Card: Pavelic;