In a smoky duel

LIVE: League bottom GAK against league leader SK Rapid!

The duel between GAK and Rapid brought a lot of struggle and cramp and less finesse - and in the end no winner ...(Bild: GEPA)

Now it has happened: SK Rapid's winning streak has come to an end! The team from Hütteldorf only managed a 1-1 draw away from home against bottom club GAK on Sunday, missing out on their sixth success in a row in a competitive match and now lead the Bundesliga table by just five points ahead of champions Sturm Graz, who have a game in hand. Daniel Maderner ensured the final score with a VAR penalty in the 94th minute, before that Janis Antiste had scored for Rapid (22nd).

Rapid coach Peter Stöger refrained from making any major changes after the Cup win over Oberwart, with captain Matthias Seidl and Furkan Demir replacing the ankle injury to Bendeguz Bolla. The visitors had more possession right from the start, but the first dangerous move did not come until the 18th minute. Nikolaus Wurmbrand set up Claudy Mbuyi, whose shot was parried by GAK goalkeeper Jakob Meierhofer.

Four minutes later, Graz had several opportunities to clear the ball around their own penalty area. However, they failed to do so, allowing Antiste to fire into the far corner from around 14 meters and celebrate his first Bundesliga goal. Only then did GAK wake up - a shot by Tio Cipot from a good position was blocked (38'), Ramiz Harakate got the ball past the hesitant Niklas Hedl, but then failed to find the net from an acute angle (44'). At the other end, Wurmbrand missed from the edge of the area (40').

Delays due to smoke in the Rapid sector
The second half began like the first - with a delay of several minutes due to heavy smoke from the Rapid fan sector. Soon after the restart, Mbuyi missed the top chance for the second Rapid goal: After Wurmbrand's assist, the striker volleyed the ball over the crossbar from about two meters (47'). GAK responded with a free-kick by Tobias Koch from the corner line, but Hedl deflected the ball over the goal (50').

The game then became more and more scrappy, with no goals worth mentioning - until stoppage time. Jacob Italiano was brought down after a duel with Marco Tilio, referee Harald Lechner initially rejected the GAK penalty claims, but was then swayed by the VAR images - Maderner converted safely. Rapid were punished for their own passivity.

The Viennese threw everything forward once again in the final stages, but there was nothing more than a header from Nenad Cvetkovic that was cleared off the line by Donovan Pines (96'). GAK thus achieved a respectable success in their first match since the departure of sporting director Dieter Elsneg, but the Styrians will have to wait for their first win of the season.

The result:
GAK - SK Rapid 1:1 (0:1)
Graz, Merkur Arena, 7482 spectators, SR Lechner

Goals: 0:1 (22.) Antiste, 1:1 (94.) Maderner (penalty)

Yellow cards: Cipot, Koch, Maderner or M. Seidl, Tilio, Antiste

GAK: Meierhofer - Vraa (81. Kreuzriegler), Pines, Owusu - Frieser (81. Jano), Koch (60. Satin), Fofana, Italiano - Harakate, Hofleitner (27. Maderner), Cipot (81. Lichtenberger)
Rapid: Hedl - Demir (86. Auer), Cvetkovic, Raux-Yao (77. Ahoussou), Horn - Amane, Gulliksen (77. Ndzie) - M. Seidl, Antiste, Wurmbrand (65. Tilio) - Mbuyi (77. Kara)