Linzer beat Rapid in play-off height-Diepresse.com

The LASK took the first step towards Europe. On Thursday, the Linzer celebrated a 3-1 (1: 1) victory in the first leg of the European Cup Play-Off final. If Grün-Weiß wants to save the season and get the starting place for the Conference League qualification, a clear increase in performance in Vienna is needed in the second leg on Sunday (5 p.m./Live Sky).

The guests, which was completely filed for 30 minutes, equalized after the early LASK lead by Robert Zulj (5th) thanks to a foul elf by Matthias Seidl (26th), but after the goals from Ismaila Coulibal (66.) and Zulj (91.), but as a deserved loser. The LASK thus expanded its good rapid balance. Nine games in a row are undefeated against the Hütteldorfer, and there were five wins in the recent six home games.

The athletics crossed up with a change compared to the 2-0 over Hartberg, on the defensive Modou Cisser replaced the sick Philipp Ziereis. Rapid made three changes after the 2: 4 against Salzburg in the last game of the master group. Nenad Cvetkovic worked defensively instead of AHOUSOUU, in midfield and the offensive Moritz Oswald and Louis Schaub for Dion Beljo and Andrija Radulovic.

LASK made life difficult for itself

The LASK started raid and led 1-0 after a little more than four minutes. After a quick counterattack, the uncontrolled Zulj from five meters was on hand. The clearly superior Linzers presented themselves with joy, duel strong and repeatedly fed strikers Maximilian Entrup with long balls. However, it became dangerous after a long phase of attack, an Andrade Köpfler whistled only in centimeters past the goal (21st). That should take revenge.

Without need, the Linzers got around the fruits of their work. After a ball badly played out by Goalie Tobias Lawal, Coulibaly Matthias Seidl brought down in the penalty area, the fouled himself used a precise low shot into the left corner. Rapid suddenly had upper water, hardly anything went together at the LASK. In terms of chance, the game, which was set to zero again, did not give much more, but offered a « thousand percentage » before the break: Rapid striker Guido Burgstaller left it from six meters because Lawal showed the perfect pike jump (42.).

LASK much better after the restart

Immediately after the restart, the LASK in the person of Krystof Danek checked with a direct free kick Rapid goalie Niklas Hedl, after which an Andrade Köpfler had the latte trembling (48.). Rapid no longer took place aggressively, the Upper Austrians had more of the game again, but had to be patient another 20 rather uneventful minutes. According to combination of Hrvoje Smolcic and Ivan Ljubic, Coulibaly from the penalty area bounded an as tight as precise low shot into the right corner.

Rapid’s response failed to do so. While the winner of the qualification group no longer risked much, only Joker Ahoussou Lawal forced the fifth of the fifth of the master group (82nd). Rather, it was the home side in the finish who made Rapid swimming and thanks to Zulj, improved their starting position for Sunday.

(APA)