One thing is clear for Sturm:

The key to success lies in the Merkur Arena

Jon Gorenc-Stankovic (r.) relies on Storm's home strength.(Bild: Sepp Pail)

With a 4:1 home win against Slovan Bratislava three weeks ago, Sturm laid the foundations for advancing to the last 16 of the Conference League - and the key to progressing against Lille on Thursday (18:45) will also lie in the Merkur Arena. Because the French side are a force in their own stadium...

Looking at LOSC Lille's record, one thing stands out for the Sturm analysts. Away from home, coach Paulo Fonseca's injury-plagued side are certainly not the terror of the world: goalscorer David & Co. have won and lost five times each in 19 competitive matches, with nine draws. But in the Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy, "Les Dogues" ("The Mastiffs" embody aggression and dedication) are a force: 13 of 16 home games have been won - all European Cup opponents (Rijeka, Ljubljana, Klaksvik and Slovan Bratislava) had to go down to defeat in Lille. They drew twice in the league. Even super team Paris SG did not manage more than a 1-1 draw. Reims pulled off the last "miracle" on September 26 with a 2:1 win.

Salzburg also know how strong the Northern French are at home: In the Champions League '20/21, the Bulls lost 1-0 away from home. This time, sporting director Seonbuchner is even rooting for their league rivals: "Of course we wish Sturm Graz every success in the Europa Conference League. They are our last representative on the international stage and it's also about additional points for the UEFA ranking, from which the entire Bundesliga benefits."

Angel Gomes, the €20 million share of the England U21 team, is hard to beat with Lille in France.(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Adi Hütter, who lost 2-0 with Monaco in Lille, warns Sturm: "Lille are a tough opponent. Sturm should travel to France with a head start, because it will be very difficult there. Two top days are needed to advance."

Sturm's "stabilizer" Jon Gorenc-Stankovic knows that the performance in Graz can be decisive: "I think anything is possible with a good result at home. We know that we're not easy to beat at home with our fans behind us. I'm looking forward to this game. We all know how strong Lille are, but we've already shown what we can do. We have to believe in ourselves and do what we're strong at - play intensively and dare to go forward. Lille are not unbeatable-if we have a good day, we can definitely win!"