Sunday Success versus Sturm in Graz

In sweltering heat on Sunday afternoon, Rapid took to the turf in Liebenau for the weekend’s top game, an ADMIRAL Bundesliga Match Day 2 clash with Sturm Graz. Having started the new league season with a home win, head coach Peter Stöger and his team wanted to put in another strong performance on the road, as they squared-up against the reigning champions.

Niklas Hedl started in goal as usual; Jannes Horn, SP Raux-Yao, Jean Harisson Marcelin and Bendi Bolla formed the back four; Mama Sangaré and Romeo Amane played in front of them as double sixes; while Petter Nosa Dahl, captain Matthias Seidl, Andrija Radulović and Janis Antiste were tasked with getting the goals in attack. After his comeback on Thursday, Niki Wurmbrand, who had been out with a long-term injury, was given a rest, as was Nenad Cvetković, who had played four games in the last 14 days.

Both teams gradually settled their way into the game, with Sturm Graz quickly making their presence felt with some attacking efforts, including a shot off the post. Andrija Radulović then had our first chance with a decent header, but the home keeper made a strong save after a perfect cross from Bolla (9'). In response, Niki Hedl reacted just as quickly and defused an attack from the hosts in black and white. Despite temperatures of well over 30 degrees, Matti Seidl also made a lung-busting run, but his shot narrowly missed the target (22'). It was an exciting and competitive duel between two evenly matched teams, with the action going from one box to the other. In the final third, the Grazers looked a bit livelier, but Leon Grgic prodded a chance wide, before Radulović at the other end tried to cap off a nice team move, but side-footed his shot past the far post (43’). In stoppage time at the end of the first half, the hosts stepped up a gear, but nothing came of it – our defence worked hard and Niki Hedl again was in place to tip a header over the top, and therefore the two teams went in at the break with nothing to separate them.

After half-time, two new players emerged from the tunnel, with Dominik Weixelbraun and Claudy Mbuyi replacing Andrija Radulović and Matti Seidl (46'). Both substitutes immediately combined for the half’s first big chance; Weixelbraun's shot was blocked from a dangerous position in the box, the loose ball was then sent through to Claudy Mbuyi, but the home keeper did well to smother his close range attempt (47'). We restarted the match with real momentum, and after some good combination play with Petter Nosa Dahl, Janis Antiste was again denied by the keeper (48'), but then against the run of play a Kiteishvili shot took a wicked deflection off Marcelin and left Niki Hedl with no chance as the ball flew into the net. 1-0 Sturm (58’). The home side suddenly looked more confident, and just under five minutes later, they had another great chance, but Niki Hedl kept us in the game with a strong reaction down at his near post. Rapid remained well in the game though, and it didn't take long for us to strike back: after some perfect interplay with Claudy Mbuyi, Petter Nosa Dahl burst forward and equalised beautifully, with a precise finish into the far corner from outside the penalty area, 1-1 (67’)!

And it soon got even better, because within three minutes our Rapid players had turned the game on its head: Janis Antiste delivered the perfect pass thanks to some great vision, Petter Nosa Dahl laid the ball off to Claudy Mbuyi on the left of the area, and our number 71 scored his first Rapid goal with a lovely low strike, again precisely placed into the bottom corner, beating the keeper’s dive! With that, the Green & Whites had the lead, 2-1 (70'). Dahl then almost made it 3-1, but his driven shot flew back off the post (82'). Ercan Kara, Ange Ahoussou and Louis Schaub came on for Janis Antiste, Jannes Horn and Louis Schaub in the closing stages (83'), but the scoreline rightly remained unchanged until the end.

What can we say, it was about time: for the first time in five years, we traveled back to Vienna from a league game in Graz with three points in the pocket – Thanks, Rapid fans, we hope you enjoyed that one!

Fotos: GEPA