The Carinthians have remained uncountable since the points and league division, three defeats in three games are on the books. Sturm, on the other hand, achieved the second win in a row. In addition, there was the third away win in the third duel of the season between the two teams.
WAC coach Robin Dutt was able to fall back on Luka Lochoshvili in central defence, the 23-year-old Georgian played the game with a mask after breaking his nose three weeks ago. Captain Michael Liendl also returned to the starting XI for the Carinthians, while Thorsten Röcher was absent due to illness. During the storm, veteran Jakob Jantscher was only on the bench due to a gastrointestinal infection, but captain Stefan Hierländer was fit again.
Eleventh goal of the season for Sarkaria
In sunshine but almost wintry temperatures, the game was intense, but there were initially few scenes in the penalty area. Things got tense for the first time after 15 minutes when Dario Vizinger fell after a Liendl corner and was wrapped up by Andreas Kuen and Wolfsberg claimed penalties. Referee Harald Lechner rightly allowed play to continue, Kuen played the ball.
Ten minutes later, Anderson Niangbo’s shot from 18 yards was saved by Alexander Kofler, who was then able to put things right against Sarkaria. Seconds later it was reversed. Amar Dedic carelessly lost the ball to Alexander Prass, who served Sarkaria in an exemplary manner. The 25-year-old offensive man first let the onrushing Lochoshvili get out and then deliberately pushed in (26′). It was Sarkaria’s eleventh goal of the season.
Laid behind, the hosts now pushed their efforts to write as well. Tai Baribo (34′) and Christopher Wernitznig (37′) both missed Jörg Siebenhandl’s goal with a header from promising positions. After a stab in the penalty area, shots from Liendl, Vizinger and Wernitznig got caught in the legs of Graz defenders (38′). However, Vizinger missed the best opportunity shortly before the break when he was served by Liendl after an Affengruber mistake and was denied by Siebenhandl, who reacted brilliantly in front of the goal (44′).
Corner flag helps with 2:0
Right at the beginning of the second half, the next neck blow for the WAC: A Liendl free kick, in which the ball bounced off the corner flag back into the field, resulted in a Graz counterattack. WAC defender Michael Novak missed the opportunity to clear. Instead, Sarkaria passed it to Rasmus Höjlund, who made it 2-0 from the turn (47 ‘) – the Dane’s fifth league goal.
In contrast to the effective Grazers, the footballing weapons of the Wolfsbergers remained blunt. Siebenhandl prevented the Carinthian goal with a brilliant save against Wernitznig (54′), Dedic shot the ball a little later into the second floor (59′). On the other hand, Höjlund scored the supposed 3-0 from close range, but the goal was rightly denied recognition after video verification because the goal was preceded by a handball by Jusuf Gazibegovic (68th). The game was still decided. Dominik Baumgartner’s header into the crossbar after a free-kick from Liendl (89′) was emblematic of the offensive efforts.
Comments on the game:
Robin Dutt (WAC trainer): “We always needed a bit too long for our offensive actions and thus gave the opponent the chance to switch. We didn’t get things rigorously clarified in the box, so Sturm just scored the goals. It was anything but a performance from us that you are used to. That’s why I think it was a deserved defeat.”
Christian Ilzer (Sturm coach): “The result looks like a sovereign away win, if you look at the game, it was a duel on an equal footing. A tight game that was always on the brink. We deservedly took the lead, we were the more present team. Then we dropped a bit in duel quality, WAC immediately had chances. After the break it was also the case that the 2-0 really played into our hands. After that it was a game where I felt like we were controlling the game but it was very deceptive. A goal would have changed the character of the game immediately. So it remained an intense, exciting game until the end. We’re happy to have won 2-0 there and it’s a really good move in the table as well.”
Admiral Bundesliga, 25th round
Sunday:
WAC – Sturm Graz 0: 2 (0: 1)
Wolfsberg, Lavanttal Arena, 4,186 spectators, SR Lechner
goal sequence:
0:1 (26.) Sarkaria
0: 2 (47.) Höjlund
WAC: Kofler – Dedic, Baumgartner, Lochoshvili, Novak (57th / Veratschnig) – Leitgeb – Wernitznig (57th / Jasic), Liendl, Taferner – Vizinger, Baribo
Sturm: Siebenhandl – Gazibegovic, Affengruber, Wüthrich, Kuen – Gorenc-Stankovic – Hierländer (83./Jäger), Niangbo (65./Kiteishvili), Prass (85./Dante) – Höjlund, Sarkaria
Yellow cards: Baumgartner, Leitgeb or Höjlund, Hierländer, Affengruber
The best: Baumgartner or Siebenhandl, Wüthrich, Prass, Sarkaria
