2: 2 at Sturm Graz: Rapid sees the master group from below
Hütteldorfer twice a day from a deficit, but the points could not prevent them from falling back to seventh place. Last minute victory for Salzburg.
Graz/Salzburg. Victories by Austria and Ried had put Rapid under pressure, because Hütteldorfer started the trip to Graz in seventh place in the table. A win at Sturm was therefore needed, but the topic alone became difficult very early on. Emanuel Aiwu dropped after a throw-in and Jakob Jantscher pulled, whose Stangl pass was sunk by Rasmus Højlund to make it 1-0 (6th minute) – the third goal for the Dane, 19, in the second game.
The Bundesliga debut began for Niklas Hedl in the Rapid goal, Paul Gartler was working on muscular problems, also conceded an early goal, a little later the U21 goalie distinguished himself against Jantscher (7th). both goalkeepers got relatively little to do, because the game lived mainly from intensive duels in midfield. The second goal was therefore also preceded by a set piece, this time Aiwu headed in after a corner kick to equalize for Rapid (35′). The green and white attack remained pale because Marco Grüll, the last asset, was kept well in check by Jusuf Gazibegovic.
A double swap should liven up Rapid, but it wasn’t Yusuf Demir who immediately took center stage. For example, Martin Moormann, who also came on as a substitute, clumsily explains Gregory Wüthrich in the penalty area. Jantscher converted the penalty effortlessly (69′). The game wasn’t top-class, but it got more exciting because the guests hit back again, again from a stationary ball. He found Kevin Wimmer via detours, who turned once and scored to make it 2-2 (83 ‘). Another corner kick was punched by Sturm goalie Jörg Siebenhandl himself, and David Affengruber cleared the following Ljubicic header on the line (85’).
With the points, Rapid could not prevent the fall back to seventh place, with victories against Klagenfurt and WSG Tirol they still have the advance into the top six in their own hands.
Last minute victory for Salzburg
During the week the Champions League anthem was played in the Red Bull Arena and Bayern Munich was a guest, on Sunday Salzburg was back to everyday league life. After all, the second-placed WAC was a guest for the top game, but it was still a one-sided affair. The champions created chance after chance, but the ban only fell in added time: A double strike by Luka Sučić (93′) and Brenden Aaronson (95′) sealed the deserved 2-0 win. The Wolfsbergers didn’t fire a single shot at the Salzburg goal and ultimately remained unpaid for their intensive defensive work.
Austria Klagenfurt defeated Altach 2-0 and thus has a place in the master group as good as certain.
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