2023-11-02 21:51:35
Gregory Wüthrich had previously given the favorite the lead as planned (5th). Michael Cheukoua (31st) and Yannick Oberleitner (37th) turned things around. The 2-1 score shouldn’t have counted because of a handball by the goalscorer. Curious: Oberleitner later also scored into his own goal (58th) to make it 2-2.
The 199th Graz competitive derby wrote negative headlines before kick-off. Security meetings were held following riots in and around the stadium resulted in injuries and arrests. But the game took place as planned.
Last year, the first Graz derby in 15 years also took place in the round of 16. It ended with a narrow 1-0 win for the favorites. This time it didn’t seem to be so tight. But the initial phase was deceptive.
Sturm’s defense chief Wüthrich subverted a free-kick cross from Jusuf Gazibegovic with a powerful header into the left corner following just 247 seconds (5th). The GAK let their arch-rivals take control following the early setback, but in the end they were able to rely on an orderly five-man chain. Despite all his dominance, Sturm failed to improve and increasingly fell into passivity. Stefan Hierländer mightn’t prevent a cross and Cheukoua scored in the center with his left turn (31′).
The equalizer from the proverbial nowhere initiated a phase of collective hectic, which the GAK immediately used once more: The agile Cheukoua threw himself into a corner and Oberleitner – unnoticed by Harald Lechner’s team of referees – maneuvered the ball in with his elbow in a pivoting movement Goal. There is no video assistant referee (VAR) in this phase of the ÖFB competition.
The Europa League starter lacked the ideas of the ailing Otar Kiteishvili and William Böving, and coach Christian Ilzer initially left two frequent players, Jon Gorenc Stankovic and Manprit Sarkaria, on the bench. Sarkaria came into the game earlier than planned because Seedy Jatta was injured once more.
Sturm came out of the dressing room with anger in his stomach, but almost ran into an early knockout. Michael Lang (47th/next), Cheukoua (48th/failed by Kjell Scherpen) and Christian Lichtenberger (57th/next) left three excellent counterattack chances lay. So the Black and Whites suddenly celebrated an equalizer, which had also not been announced. Oberleitner – the goalscorer to make it 2-1 – maneuvered a cross from Alexander Prass into his own goal (58th).
The Ilzer team had thus taken over the reins of action once more. However, top chances were in short supply. Teixeira, of all people, used the match point when he shot into the far corner following winning the ball deep following a pass from Sarkaria. It was his first goal as a striker in his 29th appearance.
“Everyone in the stadium saw that we did really well. We wanted to inspire, that was the goal,” explained Gernot Messner. The GAK coach mourned the missed “sitters” at the beginning of the second half. “If we do something like that, it will be difficult for Sturm to beat us. Because we were really poisonous on the counterattack today too.” Ilzer praised the opponent’s passionate performance. “The GAK was absolutely suitable for the Bundesliga today. Very strong performance, they demanded everything from us.”
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