The athletes were also too weak in front of around 6,000 spectators in the alternative stadium on Lower Austrian soil to be able to seriously endanger the Czech championship leader once more. It was only in the finish that the “jokers” Andreas Gruber (88th) and Alexander Schmidt (89th) were able to score at least one home win following Philipp Wiesinger (36th, 76th) had scored twice. As in the first leg, Slavia’s lightning-fast Nigerian striker Yira Sor shone with a goal (62′) and an assist for Alexander Bah’s goal (37′). Goal number one was scored by captain Peter Olayinka (24th). The exclusions of Aiham Ousou (43rd / yellow-red) and Srdjan Plavsic (86th / foul each) brought the guests out of step late, their promotion was fully deserved overall.
Linz started the game much better than in Prague and were the better team, especially in the first ten minutes. After fifteen minutes at the latest, the Czechs came in better and also set the first accents in terms of chances. A Bah header following an Olayinka cross went over it (22nd). Two minutes later, it was captain Olayinka himself who took the lead from seven meters following Lingr’s assist. Linz had not been able to complete a counterattack just beforehand, so a counterattack from a counterattack led to success.
Linz became dangerous for the first time in the 27th minute with a Horvath-Stangl pass that didn’t find anyone. The second Slavia goal was even more in the air. Sor pulled past Alexander Schlager with a hook, for whom Marvin Potzmann, who had rushed back, was able to save in dire need (30′). This made it possible for Linz to equalize a short time later. And in a curious way. After a Michorl free-kick from more than 20 meters to the bar, Philipp Wiesinger first stumbled the ball before it somehow rolled into the goal from Thomas Goiginger via Wiesinger’s knee.
However, the joy was gone following a little more than a minute. Yannis Letard, Wiesinger and Potzmann were left where they were by Sor, who was strong in sprinting, and Bah converted his pass into the penalty area with ice coldness. There was a small glimmer of hope shortly before the break, as Ousou saw the traffic light card for repeated foul play.
That’s one of the reasons why Linz had more of a share of the game, but the Czechs were very secure on the defensive despite being outnumbered. A curious press ball lob from Keito Nakamura landed just wide of the goal (56′). On the other hand, the guests were highly efficient in the end. This time, Sor surpassed Oumar Sako, who had just come on as a substitute, and shot into the far corner. It was his fifth goal in the fourth European Cup game for Slavia, three of which he scored once morest LASK.
But the people of Linz didn’t give up and pushed vehemently. The reward was a long-range hit by Wiesinger from more than 20 meters, which goalkeeper Ales Mandous did not look good and was surprised. After Plavsic had to leave the pitch following kicking James Holland’s Achilles tendon, Linz scored two more goals. First, Gruber happily got the ball in the penalty area and scored. Immediately followingwards, Schmidt made sure of the final score following a Potzmann pass. More hits were no longer in the air.
This meant that coach Andreas Wieland’s squad had their third win in the eighth competitive game in 2022, the second in a row following the most recent 6-0 thrashing in the Bundesliga once morest WSG Tirol. Hartberg is waiting in the second game of the qualifying group away from home in the championship on Sunday.
