Bajic on the Double as Rapid Head to the Semi Finals!

Rapid hung on to secure a brilliant win against Wolfsberger AC in the cup. A late header from Michael Sollbauer took Rapid to extra time, before two sublime chips from Ante Bajic sealed a 3-1 victory after 120 minutes in the team’s first competitive game of 2023.

On Friday evening, the longest winter break in many years finally came to an end, with SK Rapid’s away trip to take on Wolfsberger AC in the Quarter Final of the ÖFB Cup. Around 1,000 dedicated fans made the journey to Carinthia despite the driving rain and wind, to witness our return to competitive football in the new year.

Having lost our two previous games in the Bundesliga against WAC, we wanted to change the record against a side who were so close to reaching the cup final last year. Memories of an 8-1 win at the Lavanttal Arena in 2021 provided motivation to spur on the team towards cup success, if any more was needed after a pause of more than 80 days!

After a bitter 2-1 home loss to Hartberg at the same stage last season, the Green & Whites (who took to the field in the founding colours of Red & Blue) looked to get going on the front foot, in order to take control of this knockout game. Marco Grüll was the player to get things started after an opening few minutes in which both teams were finding their feet, he broke away down the right but overhit his pass into the middle (9’). A few minutes later, some beautiful skill and a clever backheel touch took him away from two defenders in the left corner, but his cross was acrobatically punched away by the home keeper (16’).

With Rapid on top, Ante Bajic was the next to get on the ball in the final third, but he was tackled before he could get a clean shot away, and the guests came away with only a corner (19’). Following a period of dominance from the Hütteldorfers, the home team began to find their way back into the game. Niki Hedl in goal was forced into his first real save halfway through the first period, before a moment of shock came for the fans packed into the away end. After a well-disguised pass, Maurice Malone curled the ball from the edge of the box and into the net at the far corner (27’). Cue wild celebrations for the home side, but alas they would be cut short by the offside flag, so the scoreline remained 0-0.

A smart block then denied Malone from an angle on the right (30’) before a header from WAC defender Christoph Baumgartner flew wide. Hedl had to come out and stay low to deny Tai Baribo, and then he easily gathered a long range half-volleyed effort a few minutes later as the game remained goalless (38’). The final chance of the half would be at the other end though, as Rapid fought back before the break, although in the end Bajic slotted a shot across goal and away past the far post, meaning the scores were level at half time, with the tie very much still open.

After the interval, we were aiming to get back on top of the game, yet the first team to go close were WAC, as Marco Grüll headed a high cross inadvertently against Rapid’s crossbar (53’). Niki Hedl had to be alert again to rush out and make a clearance a little later, only to see that ricochet back off a defender and away for a Wolfsberg corner. Again, Grüll was the ignition for Rapid in the WAC half, and just after the hour mark his dipping shot stung the palms of the home keeper, but it was pushed away to safety (62’). Two minutes later, Baribo was able to slot a low shot beneath Hedl and in to give the hosts a 1-0 lead (64’), and this time it would remain valid.

A solo run from Malone nearly doubled the lead, but he blazed the final shot off target and Rapid were grateful to stay just one behind, and the Red & Whites would capitalise. A Jonas Auer free kick was sent into the area, where former Wolfsberg man Michael Sollbauer popped up to head home a crucial equaliser (82’)! His celebration was somewhat muted, but the goal was vital nonetheless, and Rapid were back on level terms. We remained on the offensive, and substitute Berni Zimmermann had a shot pushed away (85’), before a promising break down the right also went close, but after 90 minutes, the teams could not be separated, and so extra time loomed.

In the first half of extra time, Ervin Omic’s low strike from outside the area was well dealt with by Hedl, before an audacious Guido Burgstaller effort from way out bounced just wide (101’) as Rapid aimed to move ahead. A long goal kick spelled trouble for the away side, but Thorsten Röcher’s angled effort was shielded by the Rapid back line. After a short interval, the boys in Red & Blue came out firing on all cylinders; Ante Bajic saw an opportunity to place a right-footed lob towards goal, and it crashed down off the bottom of the bar and in to put Rapid ahead in style (106’)! Remarkably, less than two minutes later, he repeated the trick with another looping shot which caught the WAC goalkeeper off guard and made it 3-1 to Rapid (108’).

The team saw out the win in comfort thanks to the sudden two-goal advantage, and in the end, we were able to get back to winning ways in 2023 at the first possible opportunity, with a hard-fought win over a very competitive WAC side. With a place in the Semi-Finals secured at the end, it was a perfect return to competitive football, and the traveling Rapid fans were able to make the long journey back with a smile on their faces, as the club goes marching on in the cup!

Fotos: Red Ring Shots