LASK is currently “out in the rain”. Markus Schopp explained the situation in graphic terms before his second Bundesliga match as coach of the Athletiker at home on Saturday against newly promoted GAK (5 p.m.). With a home win, the Graz native from Hartberg wants to initiate a turnaround and ensure that the sun soon shines for his team again.
Instead of being in the fight for the top spot as they had hoped, Linz are second to last in the bottom of the table. Only Hartberg have less points to their name and have also played one game less. “It’s not an easy situation, but when you’ve been in the sport for a long time there are ups and downs,” said Schopp. His boys are taking on the “challenging situation.” “Now it’s time to turn things around,” demanded the 50-year-old.
In the 0:1 derby against Blau-Weiß Linz last weekend, this was not achieved in Schopp’s debut on the coaching bench. “On Saturday we have the next opportunity, a very important game for us. If we implement what we set out to do, then LASK will win again,” said the coach optimistically. There is no alternative. “We are at the point where we have to deliver.” Goalkeeper Jörg Siebenhandl also knows this: “Everyone knows what it’s about. We will keep our hearts on the pitch.”
Linz scored the third fewest goals with five and conceded the most goals with twelve. “We scored far too few goals from the chances we had and conceded far too many goals. You need a certain level of fitness and willingness,” said Schopp. It’s important to take the step further than the opponent.
It remains to be seen whether Robert Zulj, who is suffering from a broken nose, will play a role. Schopp: “He feels much freer without a mask. I can understand that and everyone has to decide for themselves. The final decision will be made at the final training session.”
Goalkeeper Tobias Lawal, Florian Flecker, Andres Andrade, Ivan Ljubic and Lenny Pintor are five injured players without the team, and Sascha Horvath is still suspended. Only Markus Rusek and Murat Satin are unavailable for the Graz team, which recently drew against Altach and Hartberg. Martin Kreuzriegler has returned from an injury break.
Filipovic returns with GAK
Petar Filipovic is particularly motivated ahead of the duel with his former club, for which he played between 2019 and 2022. The match in front of a “good crowd” will be fun. “We want to put in a good performance so that we can finally get our first win,” said the 34-year-old.
His coach is also looking forward to this. “Four draws in six games wouldn’t be so bad. Even if the performances were good, the results were brutally disappointing,” summed up Gernot Messner. Luck is also a decisive factor in the top division. “We have to get one or two percent more, then we will have luck on our side. Over the course of the season, everything will even out.” He described LASK as “difficult to assess at the moment.” He has clear guidelines for his team, as he noted: “We have to have confidence in ourselves, be brave in the game and win the duels.”
For the first time since May 5, 2001, when Graz won 1-0, the two teams will meet in the top division. GAK has not lost in its last six direct duels. LASK, on the other hand, has been unbeaten in home games against newly promoted teams since its own promotion to the Bundesliga in 2017. There will be 200 flood relief workers in the stadium, who the club has invited to the game.
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