The blue and white cup curse continued in the Styrian capital: Linz had never made it to the quarter-finals, and for the eleventh time they were in the round of 16. A series also continued for the Styrians: on October 27, 2021, the “Blackies” left the field as losers in this competition for the last time (1:2 against Ried). Even <a href="https://www.archyde.com/sturm-graz-austria-and-lask-have-an-easy-start-to-the-cup-season/" title="Sturm Graz, Austria and LASK have an easy start to the cup season”>Blau-Weiß Linz was unable to stop Graz’s dominance. It was Graz’s 15th cup game won in a row.
This was despite the fact that coach Gerald Scheiblehner’s team got into the game really well in the early stages: Simon Pirkl missed the first top chance after Anderson’s cross (21′). As if out of nowhere, Graz scored three minutes later: Lovro Zvonarek converted a pass from Erencan Yardimci to make it 1-0. The next blow came in the 33rd minute: Yardimici deflected a shot from Linz’s Emir Karic into the goal.
BW goalie Radek Vitek then kept the guests in the game with shots from Tomi Horvat (38th) and Otar Kiteishvili (39th). Pirkl missed the goal after a free kick variation (45th).
“Incredible performance”
This was achieved in the 58th minute: After a free kick cross from Kristijan Dobras, Danilo Mitrovic headed the ball into the far corner – and made the cup game really hot again. It remained exciting because a deflected Horvat shot (64th) also landed on the aluminum post.
Blue-White fought back against the defeat – but in the end the cup curse continued because the Stahlstadtklub was unable to capitalize on their only chance to equalize: a volley attempt by Alexander Schmidt narrowly missed its target (91′). Coach Scheiblehner was still proud of his team: “We delivered an incredible performance against the best team in Austria. The result is of secondary importance to me today”
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**Interview with Gerald Scheiblehner, Coach of Blau-Weiß Linz**
**Editor:** We’re joined today by Gerald Scheiblehner, the head coach of Blau-Weiß Linz, following their recent round of 16 cup match against Graz. Gerald, thanks for being here.
**Scheiblehner:** Thank you for having me.
**Editor:** Your team was aiming to break the cup curse, but unfortunately, it didn’t go as planned. Can you share your thoughts on the match?
**Scheiblehner:** Absolutely. We came into the game with a lot of confidence, especially after starting strong. But as we’ve seen, Graz is a formidable opponent and capitalized on a couple of our mistakes. Even so, I was proud of how my team responded throughout the match.
**Editor:** It seemed like there were several pivotal moments, especially with missed opportunities. How do you think those affected the outcome?
**Scheiblehner:** Missing clear chances can be demoralizing, especially in such a crucial match. We had a few high-quality opportunities that went begging—Simon Pirkl’s chance early on and Alexander Schmidt’s late volley come to mind. If those had gone in, it could have changed the game entirely.
**Editor:** Graz has dominated this competition, winning their fifteenth cup match in a row. What do you think sets them apart as a team?
**Scheiblehner:** Graz is well-disciplined and has a lot of depth in their squad. They take advantage of every opportunity, as we saw with their quick goals. It’s something we strive to match, and it’s a goal for us moving forward—to develop that killer instinct.
**Editor:** Going forward, how do you plan to build on this performance despite the disappointment?
**Scheiblehner:** The key is to look at the positives. We showed resilience and character, especially after conceding. We’ll analyze the game, learn from our mistakes, and focus on our upcoming league matches. This experience will only strengthen our resolve.
**Editor:** Thank you, Gerald. Best of luck with your next games.
**Scheiblehner:** Thank you! I appreciate it.
