In front of 22,500 spectators in Vienna-Hütteldorf, coach Robert Klauß’s team deservedly advanced against the Turkish top club on Thursday with an overall score of 3:0. The goals were scored by captain Matthias Seidl (77th) and “joker” Christoph Lang (87th).
Millions of euros for the Green-Whites
In between, Trabzonspor defender Pedro Malheiro (85th) was shown the red card after an emergency stop. Rapid’s next opponent in the play-off is either SC Braga or Servette Geneva, the match dates are August 22nd and 29th. This means the Green-Whites are guaranteed a rain of millions, with UEFA paying out at least €3.17 million for participation in the league phase of the Conference League, which would wait in the next qualifying round if they were eliminated.
In summer temperatures and a heated atmosphere in the stands, Klauß’s eleven initially controlled the proceedings. As announced, there was no sign of management mode, and the Turks were disrupted early in their build-up to the game. Nenad Cvetkovic headed the first shot on goal (6th minute), and ten minutes later, solo striker Guido Burgstaller failed to get the ball past Trabzonspor goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir from a promising position.
Rapid repeatedly posed a threat with combination football on the wings, and in the 34th minute Louis Schaub had the chance to take the lead. However, the returnee put a cross from right-back Bendeguz Bolla past the far corner. The Turkish league third-place team from the previous season, on the other hand, posed no threat at all, and it took until the 37th minute for the first (harmless) shot on goal. Shortly before the half-time whistle, Bolla, who returned from his two-game suspension in the European Cup, shot just over the bar from the edge of the penalty area (44th).
Weak utilization of opportunities
Even after the break, the Hütteldorfers pressed for the lead goal, Cakir was alert to a Jansson Stangl pass before the Trabzonspor defense blocked two Rapid shots (50th minute). On the other side, Rapid goalkeeper Niklas Hedl had to intervene for the first time on a long cross (51st minute). The Turks, who were missing center-back Stefan Savic, who was signed from Atletico Madrid in the summer, due to injury, were only noticeable for a long time due to firecrackers and Bengalos from the traveling fans.
Rapid’s only criticism was their poor utilization of opportunities, but this flaw was erased in the final phase. Seidl sent the green and white fans into ecstasy with an ice-cold shot into the far corner after a beautiful pass from Bolla. A little later, Lang also remained cool in front of goal after Seidl’s assist. In between, Hedl held on to the lead.
