Late, Late Show to Draw Level against LASK

In a game which featured a remarkable three stoppage-time goals, ten-man Rapid battled back to claim a hard-earned point against LASK thanks to a Thierry Gale header just before the final whistle at the Allianz Stadium.

In the 12th round of the ADMIRAL Bundesliga, we welcomed LASK fo Hütteldorf on Sunday evening. After a sobering defeat a week ago against Klagenfurt, the Green & Whites were tasked with turning things around to take three points and gain some ground in the league table. Personnel-wise, Nenad Cvetković (cruciate ligament) was still missing, and newcomer Terrence Kongolo had to withdraw from training early on Friday, and was therefore also unavailable. Ex-LASK man Lukas Grgić moved into the starting XI, and Thorsten Schick joined him as another change from Rapid’s previous line-up.

Just 12 seconds in, Marco Grüll took the first shot in a frantic opening phase (1’), before Guido Burgstaller had a chance on goal, and forced LASK keeper Tobias Lawal into action (3’). Both sides were exerting early pressure, but Rapid were the team who got the first reward, as a well-worked free kick routine saw the ball floated left into the area for Burgstaller, whose cushioned header across the area was met by the run of Grgić to turn home the opener against his old employers. 1-0 (15’)! We continued to press in the game, and Burgstaller was denied with an effort from distance (20’), but LASK found a close range equaliser from nowhere to draw level at 1-1 (22’). Our team kept up the fight, and from a corner kick, Maximilian Hofmann sent his header only narrowly off target (29’), before the open game tightened up, and with both teams battling hard, the foul count was rising whilst chances were falling less frequently. One stunning reflex stop from Niki Hedl was the last major action of the first 45 minutes, so the sides went to the changing rooms level.

Right from the restart, LASK had a dangerous chance on goal from a set-piece situation, but fortunately they missed by a matter of inches (46’). Our reply came five minutes later when Matthias Seidl and Lukas Grgić combined beautifully, only for the offside flag to put a stop to the play (51’). Rapid then had a double-chance for the lead, but first Nic Kühn was denied by the keeper from a great position, and then Jonas Auer’s long-range follow-up clipped the top of the crossbar (60’). Burgstaller also placed a header a bit too close to the visiting keeper (63’), and with the chances coming our way, head coach Zoran Barišić reacted, bringing on Nana Kasanwirjo and Roman Kerschbaum in place of Thorsten Schick and Lukas Grgić (64’).

However, with the next big moment of the match, it was the Linzers who made it 2-1 with a lobbed finish from Marin Ljubicic (72’). Thierry Gale then came on for Kühn (77’), but our job got tougher as Nikolas Sattlberger picked up a second yellow card and was sent off (78’). We didn’t let this disrupt our efforts though, and once again only a touch of fortune was missing for the Green & Whites, as Grüll fired against the crossbar, and Burgstaller headed just wide on the rebound (83’). In stoppage time, though, we would have that bit of luck, as a handball in the area gave us a penalty kick. Up stepped Grüll to smash the ball into the top corner for 2-2 (91’)!

Moritz Oswald came on for Matthias Seidl (93’), but against the run of play, LASK thought they had found a winner when they steered in from a cross for 3-2 (96’), but our team were simply not letting this one go, and with the very last move of the game, Grüll served up a beauty of a delivery from the right, onto the head of Thierry Gale, who nodded in his first goal in Green & White to leave it at 3-3 (97’)!

In a curious game that was ultimately packed with highlights from both teams, Rapid fought tooth and nail with ten men to earn at least a very spirited point in a six-goal thriller.

Fotos: GEPA