UECL: Druif scores on debut start in victory over Vitesse

Together, going for victory against Vitesse - A match which promised to be a magical European Cup night in Hütteldorf, as it was the first time since November last year in which we were able to welcome a full quota of Rapid fans to the Weststadion without spectator restrictions. Even though Hütteldorf’s westerly winds blew furiously over the hallowed turf, the stage was set for the Round of 32 first leg in the UEFA Europa Conference League against Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem. Already in the run-up to the match, head coach Ferdinand Feldhofer spoke of an enormously important game in which our team would do everything to achieve a good starting position for the second leg on the 24th of February. Feldhofer had to do without the services of Maximilian Hofmann, who will be out for several weeks after a knock to his calf in the last home game, and Thorsten Schick, who was missing due to a slight ligament issue. Despite the absences, there was a European atmosphere in the air and the goal was clear...

...and with that motivation in mind, the match simply could not have started better: With the first counterattacking chance, our boys laid the perfect foundation for a magical European Cup evening! Marco Grüll was able to get through on the left, he passed the ball to Robert Ljubicic, who skilfully lofted a deep ball into the middle - Ferdy Druijf rose highest at the back post, and after just 38 seconds the whole Weststadion cheered: 1-0 (1’)! With his first goal in Rapid colours, Ferdy Druijf had given us the perfect head start in Hütteldorf - and as soon as the 4th minute, the next goal was almost in the bag, Marco Grüll missing the target by millimetres! The tempo remained high and the balance of the game was definitely on our side - the next chance again came through Ferdy Druijf, who was well-placed to pick up a loose ball after a mix up at the back, but with the keeper stranded on the edge of the box, the final shot was off target - again only millimetres made the difference. In the 16th minute, though, it was time! Marco Grüll made his way nicely past a defender with a nutmeg and slid the ball into the net from the left of the area, 2-0 Rapid! The next twenty minutes were relatively even, until our number 27 tried again from distance, but this time the finish wasn’t a dangerous one (38’). We went into the dressing room with a deserved 2-0 lead, and hoping for more of the same to come!

The second half also started with high intensity football from both sides. In the 49th minute the ball was in the back of our net. It would have been just what Vitesse were looking for, but the goal didn’t count due to an offside decision. Two minutes later, another Marco Grüll shot was again just inches away as Rapid responded well (51’), before Ferdy Druijf hammered a half-volley against the crossbar (52’). In the 61st minute, Kevin Wimmer and Taxi Fountas came on for Martin Moormann and Yusuf Demir. Then came a major talking point; in the 65th minute Filip Stojkovic had to leave the pitch after being shown a second yellow card, so the last 30 minutes would be played with Rapid two up, but one man down. The game became more intense and the visitors were buoyed, and pushed for a goal to get them back in the game, which they almost managed in the next phase of pinball in the penalty area (67’). Another double substitution brought fresh legs on for the final phase, Dejan Petrovic and Kelvin Arase replaced our opening scorer Ferdy Druijf and Koya Kitagawa (68’). However, the following minutes belonged to the guests and shortly before the Rapid Quarter-Hour, Vitesse pulled one back thanks to a low Openda effort to make it 2-1 (74’). With the numerical advantage, the visitors began to lay siege to the Rapid goal and Paul Gartler had to prove himself on several occasions, including one point blank save where he excelled in his duties. In the 83rd minute Leo Querfeld replaced our captain Srdjan Grahovac; the tempo remained the same, but the score also remained unchanged - after a well-managed 7 minutes of injury time, our boys had sealed a vital home victory!

 A fighting performance by our team, especially the strong first half showing, was rewarded with a Rapid victory in Europe. Heart, passion and fighting spirit thus laid the foundation for an exciting second leg next week in Arnhem. Hopp auf Hütteldorf!

Fotos: GEPA