1:0 against LASK

LIVE: Prass does it! Sturm take the lead against LASK

SK Sturm Graz celebrate a 1-0 win against LASK.

(Bild: APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU)

After the spectacular 4:3 victory in the Cup semi-final against Red Bull Salzburg, Sturm Graz were able to take their euphoria into the league. The Styrians defeated LASK 1:0 in front of their home crowd, putting further pressure on champions Salzburg. Alexander Prass scored the golden goal in the 20th minute.

Sturm Graz remain hot on the heels of Bundesliga leaders Salzburg. On Sunday, coach Christian Ilzer's team deservedly won 1:0 (1:0) at home against LASK and reduced the gap to the Bulls, who then only drew 1:1 against Rapid, to three points. Alexander Prass (20) scored the golden goal three days after the Cup semi-final triumph over Salzburg to give Sturm every chance in the title fight in the Champions Group with seven rounds to go.

One week after the relieving "three-pointer" against Klagenfurt, LASK were unable to add to their tally after the break despite improving their performance, once again failing to score and having only one win from their last eight league games. They slipped back to fourth place in the table behind Rapid, who are level on points, and are only three points away from bottom club Hartberg.

Sturm made the same personnel changes as in the 4-3 win over Salzburg, with only returnee Dimitri Lavalee replacing Jon Gorenc Stankovic, who is still suspended for one match, and his cup substitute Niklas Geyrhofer as a midfield vacuum cleaner. At LASK, still without talisman Robert Zulj, Andres Andrade came in for the injured Philipp Ziereis in defense, while coach Thomas Sageder again gave Filip Stojkovic and George Bello the chance in midfield.

Graz, charged with adrenaline, set the tone from the start in front of 14,917 spectators. However, they initially made the wrong decisions, such as Gregory Wüthrich, who should have finished himself in a promising position (13'). LASK goalkeeper Tobias Lawal prevented the first goal with a foot save against Mika Biereth (18'), and a little later the time had come: Following a poorly cleared cross, Prass finished with a powerful low shot from 15 meters to make it 1:0.

Brief interruption due to LASK fans
Then the LASK fans made their grand entrance. During their protest against Linz's away kit, countless objects flew onto the pitch, but the five-minute interruption was unable to slow down the home side's flow for the time being. After Biereth had taken the ball away from the hesitant Andrade, William Böving shot past Lawal in the far corner (29').

The duel flattened out towards the break and Sturm failed to press for the 2:0. LASK, on the other hand, were still barely able to launch any quick forays into the dangerous area. It was only shortly before half-time that Elias Havel forced goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros to intervene with the visitors' first shot from close range (45.+5).

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Fotos

LASK with chances, but Sturm defensively stable
After a chaotic opening ten minutes of the second period, Lawal had the presence of mind to raise his arms from close range against Biereth (59'), shortly before LASK player Sascha Horvath had chased the ball far over the Graz goal. Sturm continued to miss chances: Lawal was on hand to beat Otar Kiteishvili (66'). LASK, forced to take a more offensive approach, now often appeared dangerously up front, the best chance was missed by Moses Usor, whose shot was saved by Jaros (73'). But that was as good as it got in what was ultimately an open game against a visibly tiring Graz side.

SK Sturm Graz - LASK 1:0 (1:0)
Graz, Merkur Arena, 14,917, SR Lechner

Goal: 1:0 (20.) Prass

Sturm : Jaros - Gazibegovic (78. Johnston), Affengruber, Wüthrich, Schnegg - Lavalee - Horvat, Kiteishvili (78. Hierländer), Prass (91. Geyrhofer) - Biereth (65. Jatta), Böving (78. Camara)

LASK: Lawal - Talowjerow, Andrade, Luckeneder - Stojkovic (61. Flecker), Horvath (62. Pintor), Jovicic (88. Taoui), Bello (88. Ba) - Usor, Ljubicic (46. Berisha), Havel

Yellow cards: Affengruber or Usor, Jovicic