Kara Strikes Late to Down Hartberg

With the memories of Thursday’s thunderous Conference League Qualifying success still lingering, we were back in ADMIRAL Bundesliga action on Sunday. On the cards was a trip to face TSV Hartberg, but rather closer to home than usual, as the game took place in Mödling due to the East Styrians’ ongoing stadium renovations.

Niki Hedl was in goal; in front of him were Jannes Horn, SP Raux-Yao, our captain for the day Nenad Cvetković and Bendi Bolla; starting debutant Martin Ndzie and Romeo Amane played as double sixes; Petter Nosa Dahl, Janis Antiste and another debutant, Marco Tilio were deployed in attack, with Claudy Mbuyi posted up-front. With the local setting making the game feel almost like a Rapid home game, and a chance to go into the international break at the top of the table, the team needed to find the decisive touch in front of goal which has at times been missing for the Green & Whites of late.

Both sets of players took some time settling into the contest on neither team’s home turf. Niki Hedl was called into action for the first time in the sixth minute, but a direct free kick was no problem for our number 45. Our Green & Whites then launched their first attack, with new man Marco Tilio breaking through the ranks well, but his cross was blocked (14'). Just a minute later, we had our biggest chance of the early stages: Claudy Mbuyi played a ball perfectly into the space behind the defence, Janis Antiste had the shot, but at the last moment a Hartberg defender cleared off the line (15'). We dominated the game and were particularly strong in attack. Much of the play went through new signing Tilio, who again was able to beat defenders on the wing; from his next cross whipped over from the right flank, Claudy Mbuyi was inches away from being able to steer the ball in from close range (29'). One big moment then belonged to the nominal home side, but fortunately a free kick slammed against the crossbar (39') and up before being cleared. Despite a number of other half-chances and promising attacks, no more clear scoring chances came up before the break, so the game was goalless at half time.

The second half began with a substitution, as Andrija Radulović replaced Marco Tilio (46'). We started well again, but it was as if we were jinxed: first a low cross came to Janis Antiste in the box, his shot was deflected by the defence, then Claudy Mbuyi sent the second ball well over the bar from a great position (51'). Shortly afterwards, there was another double chance: Petter Nosa Dahl failed to convert from a corner when the ball hit him almost on the line but bounced over (59'), then his header from a Bolla cross narrowly missed the target (60'). For the last twenty minutes, Matthias Seidl and Ercan Kara came on in place of Ndzie and Antiste (70'), and Niki Wurmbrand soon replaced Petter Nosa Dahl (78'). Given the chances we had created, it was only a matter of time before we took the lead, but we needed someone to step up and make the breakthrough: following a front-post corner from Andrija Radulović, Ercan Kara rose highest to glance his header onwards and send the ball in off the back post; 1-0 (82')! Furkan Demir came on for Jannes Horn in the closing stages (83'), but that was the end of the attacking action, so we ground out the win.

Kara's crucial goal meant that we ultimately took all three points, and therefore we go into the international break as the unbeaten Bundesliga leaders! Well done, Rapid!

Fotos: GEPA