Victory after extra time

Altach ends Sturm’s title dreams in thrilling cup match!

The joy of the SCR Altach players(Bild: GEPA)

Champions Sturm Graz have been knocked out of the ÖFB Cup quarterfinals! The Styrians lost 3-1 after extra time on Sunday to their new coach Fabio Ingolitsch's former club Altach.

The Vorarlberg team advanced to the cup semifinals for the first time thanks to goals from Patrick Greil (52nd minute/penalty kick rebound, 105th minute) and Srdan Hrstic (102nd minute) and Axel Kayombo (72nd minute). Sturm finished the match with nine men after Tim Oermann received a yellow-red card (79') and goalkeeper Danijl Chudjakow was injured (110').

Before kick-off, Ingolitsch and defender Paul Koller, who also transferred from Rheindörfl to Sturm during this transfer window, were given a send-off by Altach president Peter Pfanner and sporting director Philipp Netzer to the applause of the crowd at the Schnabelholz stadium. After that, there were no highlights for the fans to see for a long time, but instead many tackles, high balls, and misplaced passes.

(Bild: GEPA)

It was only towards the end of the first half that the pace picked up. Greil failed to beat goalkeeper Chudjakow from a few meters out (40th minute) and shortly afterwards passed to Massombo, who also found his master in Chudjakow with his poorly placed low shot (42nd minute).

Patrick Greil(Bild: APA/DIETMAR STIPLOVSEK)

Greil converts penalty on second attempt
Altacher took the lead shortly after the restart. Lukas Jäger was brought down in the opponent's penalty area by the clumsy Otar Kiteishvili. Chudjakow saved the resulting penalty taken by Greil, but only as far as Greil's feet, who had no trouble tapping in the rebound.

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It was only after conceding the goal that the visitors, who were without captain Jon Gorenc Stankovic due to illness, became a little more proactive. A header from Tomi Horvat, saved by Altach goalkeeper Dejan Stojanovic, was the highlight for a long time. The 1-1 came out of nowhere and was thanks to two players who had been substituted shortly before. Jacob Hödl shot at the near post from inside the penalty area, Stojanovic saved, but Kayombo was in the right place at the right time and had no trouble putting the ball in the net.

Sturm thought they were on the up, but then suffered another setback when Oermann was shown a second yellow card after a challenge on Marlon Mustapha (79'). The champions then focused on not conceding and hoping for luck in a penalty shootout. But it didn't come to that: After a perfect cross from Mohamed Ouedraogo, "Joker" Hrstic made it 2-1 with a somewhat lucky – because not optimally struck – header from close range. Soon after, the striker, who had come on in the 81st minute, unselfishly laid the ball off to Greil, who easily finished to make it the final score.

Chudjakow injured, Gazibegovic in goal for Sturm in the final minutes
Sturm was unable to add to their lead and was also unlucky that Chudjakow was injured after the team had used up all their substitutions. As a result, Jusuf Gazibegovic stood in goal for the final minutes. 

"I can't understand the referee's decisions, but in general I'm very angry with my team! Not everyone understood what was at stake. We have to question ourselves and everything," Ingolitsch grumbled. "We have to see which players are right for us."

The result:
SCR Altach – SK Sturm Graz 3-1 a.e.t. (1-1, 0-0)
Altach, Schnabelholz Stadium, referee Weinberger

Goals: 1-0 (52') Greil (penalty rebound), 1-1 (72') Kayombo, 2-1 (102') Hrstic, 3-1 (105') Greil

Yellow-red card: Oermann (79'/repeated foul play)

Yellow cards: S. Ingolitsch, Milojevic and Koller

Altach: Stojanovic – S. Ingolitsch (117. Benjamin), Milojevic, Zech, Jäger, Ouedraogo – Demaku (91. Oswald), Bähre – Greil (110. Gorgon), Massombo (91. Fetahu) – Diawara (29. Mustapha/80. Hrstic)
Sturm: Chudjakow – Gazibegovic, Aiwu, Oermann, Koller (70. Hödl), Karic – Kiteishvili, Weinhandl (106. Rozga), Horvat (70. Beganovic/91. Malic) – Jatta (70. Kayombo), Malone (82. Geyrhofer)