Raffael Behounek (5th) put the WSG in the lead, Stefan Skrbo (81st) secured the draw for the Tyroleans. In the table, Sturm therefore lost second place to WAC and is now third. Meanwhile, the WSG can continue to hope for the master group in tenth place with three rounds left in the regular season. For this, however, a victory is needed in the next round at Guntamatic Ried.
All four newcomers were allowed to play for the Tyroleans from the start: Kofi Schulz, Sandi Ogrinec, Tim Prica and Julius Ertlthaler made their competitive debuts. It was noticeable that Giacomo Vrioni was not in the match day squad. WSG coach Thomas Silberberger justified this with the lack of fitness of the top scorer. Thomas Sabitzer was also absent due to problems with his Achilles tendon.
WSG Tirol and Sturm Graz split 2-2
WSG Tirol drew Puntigamer Sturm Graz at the spring start of the Bundesliga on Saturday. The Watteners came in Innsbruck against the Styrians to a 2:2.
WSG with a tailor-made start
Despite the personnel restructuring, the WSG got off to a good start. With the first notable scene of the game, a free kick from the left by Bror Blume, Behounek gave the hosts the lead with a header (5′). It was the second goal of the season for the Tyrolean defense chief. Nine minutes later the same scenario, only from the right: Blume served the ball again from a free kick to Behounek, but this time he headed wide.
The favorite from Graz only slowly came out of the hibernation and acted too awkwardly for long stretches. In the 16th minute, the Styrians made their first appearance in front of the goal with a Sakaria header, but goalie Ferdinand Oswald had little trouble. The same applied to a Jantscher header from a Gazibegovic cross (23′).
Well-deserved compensation by Höjlund
However, the Ilzer team increasingly took control of the game, had more possession and now regularly combined in front of the Tyrolean goal. Alexander Prass and Amadou Dante missed the target with long-range shots (28′, 29′). After Höjlund’s preliminary work, Jantscher shot over the goal from 15 meters (30′).
Five minutes later, Höjlund, who was supposed to compensate for the departure of Kelvin Yeboah, failed from the edge of the box to Oswald. Shortly thereafter, however, the Dane did better: Zakaria served the freshly baked 19-year-old with an ideal pass, and the new man scored his first goal in the league with a left-footed shot into the far corner and thus the deserved equalizer.
“Joker” brings WSG compensation
After the break, the Silberberger squad tried to play more actively again. The result was that both teams largely neutralized each other, chances were scarce. Several injury interruptions also took the pace out of the game. Only in the 70th minute did Höjlund pose a threat again in the Tyrolean penalty area, but Graz couldn’t get the shot.
The game picked up speed again: four minutes later, the Dane pulled off a brace. Jantscher was initially denied by Oswald, but Höjlund converted the rebound dryly from a few meters to make it 2-1. Shortly afterwards, the WSG goal rang again, but Jantscher was just offside when Höjlund was passed (76′).
But it hit the other side regularly: After a Prica cross from the right, substitute Skrbo equalized with a header (81st). In the end, David Affengruber missed the lucky punch, but Oswald was able to parry his shot (96′). Merciless Tyrolean efficiency brought the WSG a point against the dominating Grazer.
Comments on the game:
Thomas Silberberger (WSG coach): “We didn’t really get to our game. We had a good early phase, then Sturm was clearly better until the break. It was impressive how they played. The new striker seems to be a weapon. It was an extremely difficult match for us. With the deficit we got back into the game better and were then rewarded with a wonderful goal from Skrbo after a dream cross from Prica. That was a top performance from my team in terms of morale and fighting spirit. The point can certainly still do us good.”
Christian Ilzer (Sturm coach): “We slept through the first quarter of an hour because we weren’t in the game, especially in standard situations. We had problems there and fell behind. I think we controlled the game in the second half and didn’t allow almost anything. Our second goal didn’t come from a flood of chances, but I thought it was absolutely deserved because we tried to shape the game here.”
Ilzer on Höjlund’s debut: “I think we’ve already brought in a player who fits our profile very well. Of course, that the young lad celebrates his debut today with two goals, it doesn’t get much better than that.”
Rasmus Höjlund (Sturm’s double goal scorer): “It’s nice to score two goals on your debut. I’m here to score goals, but now I’m disappointed. We should have been a little more precise in the conclusion. We didn’t pay much attention to the goals we conceded. I try to give my all in every game and I want to bring out the best in myself and keep scoring a lot of goals for Sturm.”
Bundesliga, 19th round
Saturday:
Tyrol – Sturm Graz 2: 2 (1: 1)
Innsbruck, Tivoli Stadium Tirol, SR Kijas
goal sequence:
1:0 Behounek (5.)
1: 1 Höjlund (38th)
1: 2 Höjlund (74th)
2: 2 Care (81st)
WSG: Oswald – Koch, Behounek, Awoudja, Schulz – Rogelj (58./Skrbo), Ogrinec (77./Forst), Müller (77./Naschberger), Ertlthaler (58./Tomic) – Prica (94./Smith), flower
Sturm: Siebenhandl – Gazibegovic, Affengruber, Wüthrich, Dante (87./Kuen) – Gorenc-Stankovic (87./Jäger) – Hierländer, Sarkaria (91./Niangbo), Prass – Jantscher, Höjlund
Yellow cards: Skrbo, Tomic and Jantscher
The best: Behounek, Blume or Prass, Höjlund, Jantscher
