As always this season between the WAC and Sturm, the away team came out on top in the end. In the three games, too, the guest always left the pitch as the winner. In the fight for second place and thus for the right to start next season in the qualification for the Champions League, the Styrians were able to work out a 2-0 lead. With 24 points, coach Ilzer’s team is three points ahead of Austria Vienna and five ahead of Rapid. The WAC is six points behind.
Despite the supposedly clear success in the Lavanttal Arena thanks to goals from Manprit Sarkaria (26th) and Rasmus Höjlund (47th), the win against WAC was hard work, according to coach Ilzer. “We’re happy to have won 2-0. The games in the master group are just tight,” said the Styrian. Although a third goal by Graz was disallowed by VAR because of a handball in the making, Sturm also had goalkeeper Jörg Siebenhandl and the crossbar in the closing stages to thank that Wolfsberg was denied a goal.
Sturm not only fulfilled his duty, but also benefited from the loss of points by the competition. Vienna’s Austria had to be satisfied with a 1-1 draw against Austria Klagenfurt, Rapid went away empty-handed with the 1-2 defeat in Salzburg. The results of the competition have no official meaning for the Sturm players. “In principle we only look at ourselves, but of course we know that those were the right ‘Big Points’,” said midfielder Alexander Prass.
Sarkaria carries storm ahead
The Graz consistency – in the last ten league games there was only one defeat, namely against Salzburg – can also be tied to offensive man Sarkaria, who scored his eleventh goal of the season against WAC. That’s how many goals the 25-year-old had scored in four seasons for Austria Wien. Sarkaria herself doesn’t really know why the knot burst during a storm of all things. “I’m not really doing anything new. I train well and just try to go full throttle in every game.”
Ilzer will soon be spoiled for choice in attack, Otar Kiteishvili is back in the starting XI after recovering from injury. The Georgian came on the field after a good hour against the WAC. “When Jakob Jantscher (gastrointestinal, note) dropped out at such short notice, I thought about putting Anderson Niangbo or Otar Kiteishvili in the starting XI. Otar is still missing a few percent of liveliness and match speed,” explained Ilzer.
Wolfsberg struggles with injuries
But the hospital is slowly getting bigger at the Wolfsbergers. The ill Thorsten Röcher, the ailing Eliel Peretz and long-term Jonathan Scherzer (torn ankle ligaments) were missing against Sturm. Added to this is Tai Baribo, the Israeli injured against a storm. “Tai will be out for at least 14 days, he just had his Achilles’ heel stitched up,” explained WAC coach Robin Dutt after the game on Sunday.
The German, meanwhile, tries to exude calm, because in the spring his team was not up to speed. In the previous three rounds of the master group, the Carinthians remained pointless. “This is a phase that we have to go through, the championship group is still long. Sturm is now six points away. But there are five places that make the international path possible, and we will fight for every single place that is there,” Dutt said combatively.
