Beljo Penalty Salvages Stoppage-Time Draw in Graz
Three days after the team’s Conference League home win against FC Noah, Rapid travelled to Graz to take on promoted Bundesliga side GAK. Head coach Robert Klauß sent nearly his regular XI out from the start against GAK (who had switched coaches at the start of the week and were now led by Rene Poms), Mamadou Sangaré was the only real change to our line-up as he was on the bench, with Dennis Kaygin starting.
The hosts started the game with a lot of pressure and dominated the opening minutes in Liebenau. Lukas Graf headed the first major chance of the match just wide of Niki Hedl’s post (5'), and the game then developed into an intense affair punctuated with numerous fouls before Rapid eventually settled and began to control the contest. Guido Burgstaller had our first good chance, however, after a neat one-two with Dion Beljo on the left of the area, the veteran striker only hit the side-netting (21’). Beljo himself then reacted well in the box to hit a volley on target, but it was deflected up onto the bar and away (30'). Burgstaller would have the best chance of the first half though, when he got away into the penalty area after good work by Dennis Kaygin and Matthias Seidl, but unfortunately put his shot just wide (36’). Bendi Bolla tested Jakob Meierhofer with a long-range shot shortly before the break, but the GAK keeper was able to hold on to the ball, so the teams went into the half-time break level at 0-0.
The second half began in much the same way as the first. GAK were very active in the game from the restart, and Dominik Frieser thought that he'd put the promoted side ahead when he fired in a rebound at the back post (47'), but thankfully the assistant referee's flag was up for offside! After that, the 9,000 fans watched a very disjointed match with a number of misplaced passes and fouls. However, GAK kept giving it everything for their new coach, and took the lead in the 69th minute when Christian Lichtenberger hit a sweet long-range shot in off the post for 1-0. The Green & Whites kept composed and responded by getting right back into the game, and after a beautiful set-piece move, Burgstaller got a shot on target, but unfortunately failed to beat the keeper.
At the start of twelve minutes of stoppage time, there was a big penalty shout in the GAK area. Following a lofted pass from Burgstaller, substitute Noah Bischof headed the ball over but was fouled by the hand of goalkeeper Meierhofer as he ran out, prompting referee Pfister to award a spot-kick after a VAR check. Dion Beljo stepped up under pressure and equalised - 1-1 (93')! Five minutes later, those in Green & White were briefly celebrating again, but Guido Burgstaller's well-taken goal (98') was disallowed due to a narrow offside decision, so after the lengthy stoppage time was up, we had battled back for a 1-1 draw and shared the points with GAK.
It was not the result we'd hoped for at the start of the day, but at least we kept fighting and were rewarded with a point on the road.
Fotos: GEPA
ADMIRAL Bundesliga | 11. Runde | Merkur Arena
Tore: Lichtenberger (69.); Beljo (93./Elfmeter)
Rapid-11: Hedl; Auer, Raux-Yao, Cvetković, Bolla; Grgić (87. Wurmbrand), Kaygin (75. Bischof); Seidl ©, Lang (68. Sangaré); Burgstaller, Beljo
Ersatz: Gartler, Böckle, Kerschbaum, Sangaré, Hofmann, Bischof, Wurmbrand