22 (!) shooters

Sturm Graz escape Cup defeat in penalty thriller

Sturm Graz were delighted to advance to the ÖFB Cup quarter-finals.(Bild: GEPA)

A potential Cup debacle was only just averted. Sturm Graz managed to beat Admira on penalties in the last 16 of the ÖFB Cup and are now through to the quarter-finals.

Sturm Graz have reached the Cup quarter-finals after a real penalty shoot-out thriller. The Bundesliga leaders prevailed 10:9 on penalties at Admira Wacker, after 120 minutes the score was 1:1 (1:1, 0:1). Alexander Schmidt put the second-division side ahead (11'), but Graz saved themselves for extra time thanks to an own goal from Matteo Meisl (73'). Ex-Sturm goalkeeper Jörg Siebenhandl became the tragic hero in the penalty shoot-out.

Siebenhandl misses
The veteran goalkeeper was the 22nd player to score and was denied by Sturm's Matteo Bignetti, who saved the 2023 and 2024 title winners from their earliest Cup exit since 2021. Sturm had come to Südstadt with the "first suit". Coach Jürgen Säumel initially left only Tomi Horvat on the bench after two competitive defeats. Admira, previously the only Austrian professional club without a defeat this season, wanted to "achieve the impossible" according to their coach Thomas Silberberger. And were able to celebrate a perfect start against Graz, who were still without a blemish away from home.

Schmidt scores the opening goal
A long ball undermined the indisposed visitors' defense, Schmidt was able to march unchallenged towards goal and beat the Sturm substitute goalkeeper Matteo Bignetti, who was "pecking" on the line. Sturm then had a lot of possession, but struggled to find the gap. Siebenhandl only had to intervene in the 27th minute after an attempt by Otar Kiteishvili, the follow-up shot was acrobatically missed by Rozga.

Alexander Schmidt (right) fired Admira into the lead.(Bild: GEPA)

Admira miss a penalty
Schmidt almost made it 2:0 on the counter-attack after Ristanic's pass, but his shot from an acute angle narrowly missed the far corner. At the other end, the champions got stuck time and time again against the Admiran wall of men. The underdogs defended passionately and were initially lucky with a crossbar header from Leon Grgic. Moments later, Meisl made an unfortunate save in his own goal.

Penalty thriller
The game went into extra time, in which Siebenhandl was on hand to save twice from Horvat (95th/112nd). But Admira also had chances for the lucky punch. Marco Schabauer missed the best one, running in alone on goal and putting the ball past the far corner (105'). The penalty shoot-out saw a generational duel in goal with Siebenhandl (35) and Bignetti (21). Siebenhandl initially appeared to be the hero with an attempt saved by Grgic. But Bignetti fended off Sandro Steiner's "match ball" and was then also on hand against his predecessor in the Sturm goal.

Jörg Siebenhandl missed the decisive penalty.(Bild: GEPA)

"It's often like that in life"
 "You don't think much at that moment, you just try to do the best you can in the situation. I'm happy that I was able to help the team," said Bignetti on ORF, while Siebenhandl had to go through "all facets of soccer" in fast-forward. "For a short time, it looked like we would get through. Then I miss the decisive penalty. It's often like that in life. But it was a good game from us."

FC Admira Wacker - SK Sturm Graz 9:10 i.E. (1:1, 1:1, 1:0)

Goals: Schmidt (11th) and Meisl (73rd/own goal)