An Important Point Gained in Graz

Christoph Lang’s direct free-kick earned Rapid a point on the road and prevented Sturm from pulling level with Salzburg at the top of the table in an entertaining Sunday evening game in Graz.

The final fixture from round 19 of the ADMIRAL Bundesliga was Sunday’s big match, as SK Rapid were the guests in Styria, facing second-placed Sturm Graz. The hosts made just the one change after a 4-1 win in the UEFA Europa Conference League in midweek, and on our side, the biggest team news was perhaps the return of Guido Burgstaller to the squad, having recovered quicker than expected from injury.

Captain Maximilian Hofmann led the team out in his 250th competitive appearance for Rapid, and the game began intensively, as expected. Frustratingly, Sturm’s set-piece strengths were on show again for the early goal that was conceded, as a corner kick was headed in at the front post by Dimitri Lavalee to give the home side the advantage (6’). Rapid responded well though, and just a few minutes later, a good link up between Christoph Lang and Matthias Seidl provided Marco Grüll with the chance for a leveller, although his clever heel flick from close range went just wide (13’). Seidl himself was the next to get into a really good position, although he didn’t quite catch his shot from the edge of the area perfectly, and the ball ended up well off target in the end, with that Rapid chance falling shortly after Niki Hedl had made a strong save to deny Sturm a second goal (23’).

A Styrian Gets Rapid’s Goal in Graz

The game continued as a hard-fought but fair encounter, mostly free of big scoring chances at either end, but Sturm almost changed that with a good move just before the break (39’) and then on the other side, Grüll had to be brought down just outside the area with Rapid suddenly able to threaten. Next came the almost inevitable moment that football so loves to put in the script, as former SK Sturm youth player Christoph Lang stepped up and hammered the resulting free kick in at the far side of the Graz goal! “Chicko” himself may have taken it easy with the celebrations, but the away fans in the corner of the Merkur Arena certainly showed their appreciation for Rapid’s equalising goal! 1-1 (41’)! Rapid carved out one more chance in the first half, but a Grüll header under heavy pressure flew just wide, leaving the scores level at the break.

Burgi’s Big Comeback!

Both sides remained unchanged for the second half, and this time it was Rapid who had the first corner, however Terrence Kongolo couldn’t get any precision on his headed attempt. A half-volley from Seidl then sailed closely past the post as Rapid had the upper hand early in the half (50’), and Guido Burgstaller began to warm up ready for a possible introduction. Sturm had to make a switch first with Jusuf Gazibegovic going off injured, before a further triple change for the hosts, and eventually Rapid’s substitutions, as Moritz Oswald replaced Lukas Grgic, and Burgstaller came on up-front for Fally Mayulu (72’)!

Grüll’s corner then met Kongolo once again, and this time he went much closer to scoring, seeing his effort come back off the upright, before Burgstaller’s rebound effort was blocked - that would have been a magical comeback moment! Nana Kasanwirjo then almost found a second goal on the edge of the Rapid Quarter-hour, and again it was the guests who went close from the resulting corner kick (76’) as the game remained exciting, and neither side was settling for a draw. Niki Hedl was called upon in the closing stages to deny David Schnegg’s header with a fantastic save, tipping the ball onto the post; but after six tense minutes of added time, nobody had found the crucial breakthrough.

With that, it was the first Rapid draw under Robert Klauß in his sixth game (4 wins, 1 defeat), as the side remain six points behind third-placed LASK, albeit just one solitary point inside the all-important top six in the table. Now, all attentions turn to next weekend’s Vienna Derby at home in Hütteldorf!

SK Sturm Graz – SK Rapid 1:1 (1:1)

Merkur Arena (ausverkauft)
Schiedsrichter Walter Altmann

Tor: Lavalee (6.); Lang (41.)

Rapid mit: Hedl; Kasanwirjo, Hofmann, Kongolo, Auer; Sattlberger, Grgić (72. Oswald); Lang (84. Jansson), Seidl, Grüll; Mayulu (72. Burgstaller)

Ersatz: Unger; Sollbauer, Kerschbaum, Zivković