ÖFB Cup: Semi-Final Spot Secured!

SK Rapid started the new year with a come-from-behind victory, as we turned our cup tie on its head with goals from Marco Grüll and Matthias Seidl either side of an own goal from stubborn visitors St. Pölten.

After a long winter break which featured an intensive training camp in Belek for Head Coach Robert Klauß and his team, the time had come to return to competitive action on Sunday evening. SKN St. Pölten were the guests in Hütteldorf, as we started off with an important fixture, the ÖFB Cup quarter-final, and the first game of our club’s 125th anniversary. Given the special occasion, Rapid ran out in the founding colours of red and blue, with the club’s original emblem proudly displayed on the shirts. 10 members of the Rapid starting XI were Austrian, and the home-grown heroes were focused on booking a spot in the cup semis!

The opening phase of our return to action didn’t go as planned, and in gale-force Viennese winds, it was St. Pölten who struck first. A close call on a handball made for a lengthy VAR check, but once the spot kick was awarded, the guests took advantage to go one up via Stefan Nutz (11’). The player in red and blue couldn’t find an immediate foothold to get back into the game, and the first to create a chance was Matthias Seidl, who fired just wide across the face of goal after a nice move midway through the half (26’). Then came the next big handball appeal, and this time, the decision went our way, and we had a penalty of our own. Marco Grüll stayed cool and converted with ease from the spot, slotting the ball low to the right to make it 1-1 (35’)! Lukas Grgić then had a chance for a quick turnaround after some clever combination play, but his finish didn’t quite have the power (38’). Leo Querfeld was the next to try his luck, but saw his trademark header from a set-piece cleared off the line (40’), and so after two converted penalties in an intense first half, the teams went in level.

Having reacted to St. Pölten’s tactics earlier in the first half, no changes were needed at the break, and we pushed on in the second half but often failed to find the last pass or the finish that was needed. A double switch happened after the hour mark, as Jovan Živković came on for his professional debut alongside Nikolas Sattlberger, with Roman Kerschbaum and Christoph Lang coming off. Just after the rousing Rapid quarter-hour, our time had come! Grüll fired a low cross into the area, and St. Pölten’s defence could only turn the ball in for an own goal, putting us 2-1 ahead (77’)!

That goal gave the Rapid forwards a boost, and youngster Živković made a good run into the centre, before flicking the ball into the keeper’s hands (82’). Soon after, Moritz Oswald made his introduction in place of Grgić for the final few minutes (86’), but it was Matthias Seidl who sealed the deal in stoppage time as he cut inside onto his left foot, and fired a lovely low strike which slipped under the keeper and made it 3-1 (90’+3)!

With that, we’d made a winning start to 2024, and booked a place in the ÖFB Cup semi-finals. Just the return to action that Rapid were looking for!

 Fotos: GEPA