Highlights in VIDEO

LIVE stream: Austria host Anderlecht!

Great jubilation among the Austria ladies(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

Soccer runners-up Austria Vienna have the best cards in the fight for a place in the quarter-finals of the Women's Europa Cup! The Viennese side celebrated a 1-0 win at RSC Anderlecht in the first leg of the round of 16 at the Burgemeester Van de Wielestadion in Deinze on Wednesday evening thanks to a late goal from joker Almedina Sisic (86') and thus have all the trump cards in their own hands next Wednesday (19:30) at the Generali-Arena. Watch the highlights of the game in the VIDEO above!

"The emotional situation is of course outstanding. It was true that we rarely had the ball, but we were tactically very disciplined, did a great job against the ball and were very clear and determined with the ball, which is why we weren't inferior in terms of chances. I'm over the moon with the way we did it," summed up Austria coach Stefan Kenesei.

"It's crazy, simply awesome!"
His "golden touch" was one of the deciding factors. "It's crazy, it's simply awesome when you can come in and help the team. I'm over the moon that we're in a good position for next week," said Sisic. She only came into the game two minutes before her goal. "We know that she is an outstanding footballer and can score goals like that," explained Kenesei.

Young Boys Bern will probably be waiting for the winners in the quarter-finals. The Swiss champions won their first match away at Sparta Prague 3:0 and can therefore almost plan for the last eight. The quarter-final duels will take place in mid-February 2026.

Counter tactics were successful
Kenesei had emphasized in advance that they wanted to create a good starting position and relied on counter tactics to get there. Belgium's runners-up played the game, getting dangerously close to the penalty area a few times, but still not creating any top chances. There was only a brief period of attacking action from Austria before the break. Two Austrian players missed a corner kick from Modesta Uka (43'), who herself had two shots on goal (44', 45.+1).

Sisic scored two minutes after coming on as a substitute
There was little change to the game after the restart, with Kenesei's side focusing primarily on keeping the score level and managing to do so fairly comfortably despite Anderlecht's renewed superiority. Up front, Lena Triendl missed the best chance to take the lead from six meters out (79'). However, Carina Wenninger and Co. then put the cherry on the cake. This time, a ball won by Triendl landed precisely with Sisic, who, two minutes after coming on as a substitute, scored with a high shot into the far corner.

This meant that after Slavia Prague, the next knockout hurdle was more than just a dream. And this was the first ever European Cup appearance for the previously unblemished Viennese side.