This means that LASK is still waiting for its first win after the third of six rounds in the league phase and has to worry more and more about getting into the knockout phase.
After the previous appearances against Djurgarden (2:2) and Olimpija Ljubljana (0:2), the Upper Austrians now have two points in their account. Cercle Bruges took their fourth point overall after a compact defensive performance in Linz. The Belgians’ top scorer Kevin Denkey was sent off in the 45th minute with a harsh yellow-red card.
Due to the high ticket prices for the European Cup, there were again many free seats in the Linz Arena. LASK’s active fan scene stayed tuned to the game against 11th place in the table. from Belgium in protest, the mood was correspondingly moderate with 8,500 spectators in the stadium. After a minute’s silence in memory of the victims of the flood disaster in Valencia, Cercle quickly lived up to its reputation as a “pressing machine”. But LASK always managed to get out of the pressure situations well and had their first good opportunity in the 11th minute with a blocked Stojkovic shot.
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LASK coach Schopp: “We shouldn’t be surprised that we only have one point”
LASK created more opportunities
The Schopp team initially created a significant increase in chances. After a quarter of an hour, Valon Berisha failed to put a shot on goal on goal, shortly afterwards Cercle goalkeeper Maxime Delanghe defused a remarkable volley from Sascha Horvath after a corner with a foot save (21′). Brugge got into the game better and had the best opportunity with a header from captain Thibo Somers that was too central (37th).
The biggest highlight came shortly before the half-time whistle: Denkey, who had already been warned, grabbed Hrvoje Smolcic in the face in an aerial duel, and the Bulgarian referee Radoslaw Gidschenow decided again for yellow and therefore yellow-red. After the break, the characteristics of the game changed, as expected. LASK had long periods of possession and looked for holes in the Bruges defense. However, the Belgians, who were coached by Muslic from Upper Austria, were compact, the black and whites lacked ideas.
Schopp often stood on the sidelines at a loss due to the lack of creativity in the offensive game. In the 73rd minute, LASK goalie Jörg Siebenhandl had no problems with a direct free kick from Nazinho. On the other side, a powerful shot from “Joker” Maximilian Entrup (79th) went wide. The new impulses in the LASK game were fruitful and the chances improved in the final phase. Florian Flecker, who was also substituted, failed with a low shot from a good position at the foot of Delanghe (85′), Adil Taoui shot centimeters past the far corner (86′), as did Zulj (91′). The Linzers were no longer able to score the winning goal.
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To convert their chances, and the match ended in a disappointing 0-0 draw.
It was a match marked by missed opportunities for LASK, who despite having more possession and creating several scoring chances, were unable to find the back of the net. The situation was compounded by the sending off of Denkey, leaving Cercle Brugge to defend a one-goal advantage with ten men. Nonetheless, LASK struggled to capitalize on this numerical advantage, often finding themselves thwarted by a resolute Brugge defense.
After the game, LASK coach Schopp expressed his frustration, stating, “We shouldn’t be surprised that we only have one point.” His comments reflected the team’s inability to convert possession and chances into goals, a theme that has plagued them in recent matches.
Despite the draw, LASK will need to focus on remedying their attacking inefficiencies and finding ways to break down stubborn defenses if they hope to improve their position in the league standings. With the Conference League matches on the horizon, Schopp and his players will need to regroup and build on this performance, even if they feel they left points on the table in this particular fixture against Cercle Brugge.
