The nine-time Austrian team player scored after only three minutes in front of goalie Niklas Hedl to put the hosts ahead, Eli Dasa had overturned the Rapid defense with an opening pass. Similarly, Vitesse raised through Matos Bero (19′). Shortly before that, Robert Ljubicic missed the guests’ only good chance (17′).
In the second half, the Viennese were unable to set any accents on the offensive either. Hedl, on the other hand, kept Rapid in his European Cup debut against Grbic, Dasa failed with a margin shot (68th). A goal by Jacob Rasmussen was rightly disallowed for offside (77′), the Viennese didn’t have any more significant opportunities.
Rapid must therefore continue to wait for their first entry into a European Cup round of 16 since 1997. The ECL draw will take place on Friday (1 p.m.), when the last ÖFB representative in this competition, LASK, will find out their next opponent (March 10/17). Vitesse could meet the next club from Austria.
Young team should fix it
Rapid coach Ferdinand Feldhofer tried it again in Arnhem with a young team. An experienced player, Filip Stojkovic, was suspended and Thorsten Schick, who was fit again, replaced him on the outside right. Five players eligible to play for the U21s were in the starting line-up for Grün-Weiß (23.4 years on average). Vitesse went into the game without suspended first-leg goalscorer Lois Openda and on a negative run. The team of ex-Austria coach Thomas Letsch had not won for almost a month.
Rapid arrived in front of a little more than 500 supporters who had traveled with them, tactically changed. In the unfamiliar 3-4-3 system, carelessness number one Vitesse leveled the early 1-0. Grbic, who has been trained for a long time in the Rapid youth team, had a clear path after a wide pass from right-back Eli Dasa and gave Hedl no chance in his European Cup debut. The Viennese’s offside trap went completely in vain, Rapid’s false start was perfect. For Grbic, on loan from Lorient, it was his first competitive goal for Vitesse.
Rapid only comes at a good chance
The Hütteldorfer initially held against it, Robert Ljubicic should be given the opportunity to equalize. After Grüll’s hole pass, the midfielder was alone in front of goalkeeper Jeroen Houwen, who saved with his hand (17′). A minute later it was 0:2. Again Dasa levered out the back three with a cross, which the Slovakian Bero completed. For the first time in this duel, Rapid was behind. The Dutch presented themselves more secure on the ball and defensively had everything under control. Yusuf Demir, Ferdy Druijf and Marco Grüll could hardly set any accents.
Feldhofer reacted at the break by returning to the back four. Vitesse was now deep in his own half of the field and switched to counterattacks. After just under an hour, Koya Kitagawa and Christoph Knasmüllner replaced Demir and Schick. But not much was visible. A gruelling free kick, which sailed past friend and foe in the penalty area, was the most dangerous action by the Viennese.
At the other end, Kitagawa failed with a terrible pass from the outside of the foot, Grbic then failed at Hedl, and Dasa hit Srdjan Grahovac in the margin (68′). After 77 minutes the game seemed to be over, but the Danish referee team rightly saw an offside position before the supposed 3-0 even without VAR help. Philipp Schobesberger made his comeback in the finish after a break of more than two years with the pros due to injury. The 28-year-old was also unable to set any more accents.
Comments on the game:
Ferdinand Feldhofer (Rapid coach): “I’m very disappointed. That was an absolutely deserved defeat. If you get goals like that, you have lost nothing in the round of 16. I couldn’t have imagined that it would be so easy, especially when there are five players in defence. We didn’t have the freshness today to be able to pose a goal threat. I don’t have a head for the league at the moment, we have to work through the game now, then it’s on to Sunday. We saw a very young team, who were a bit impressed by the atmosphere. That was a very educational game.”
Thomas Letsch (Arnhem coach): “When you haven’t won for so long, it feels great. We more than deserve to go through. We have always said that Europe is something special. We look forward to continuing. We had a lot more grip and put them under pressure. We played forward more than in the first leg and were more determined. I am completely satisfied.”
Adrian Grbic (Arnhem goalscorer): “The evening started great for us. Starting a game like that gives you a lot of confidence. I’m happy about my goal, but also for the team, who won again after a long dry spell. Today it was a 90-minute fight.”
Conference League Round of 16 Second Leg
Thursday:
Vitesse Arnheim – Rapid 2:0 (2:0)
Arnhem, GelreDome, 13,000 spectators, SR Kehlet (DEN)
goal sequence:
1:0 Grbic (3.)
2: 0 Bero (19.)
Speed: Building – Oroz, Doekhi, Rasmussen – Dasa, Bero, Tronstad, Domgjoni (80./Vroegh), Wittek – Grbic (91./Yapi), Baden Frederiksen (69./Huisman)
Rapid: Hedl – Aiwu, Wimmer, Moormann – Schick (57th / Kitagawa), Grahovac (81st / Petrovic), R. Ljubicic, Auer (81st / Schobesberger) – Demir (57th / Knasmüllner), Druijf, Grüll
Yellow card: Dasa, Oroz, Letsch (Trainer) resp. Drujf, Wimmer, Grüll
First leg 1-2, Arnhem with a total score of 3-2 in the round of 16
Draw on Friday, 1 p.m., match dates: March 10th and 17th
