Europa League Spot Now Secured
Sturm Wins Again! Dream of the Champions League Lives On
Sturm Graz has advanced to the third qualifying round of the Champions League. On Tuesday, the Styrian side defeated Heart of Midlothian 2-0 in the second-round second leg in Scotland, securing a 6-0 aggregate victory following their 4-0 home win.
Kronen Zeitung als bevorzugte Google-Quelle hinzufügen In the battle to reach the playoffs, Coach Fabio Ingolitsch’s squad will face either Fenerbahçe Istanbul or Górnik Zabrze; following a 1-0 home win for the Turks, the series will be decided on Wednesday (8:00 p.m.) in Poland.
Match dates for the third round are August 4, 5, and 11. Both teams can plan for a European group stage, as elimination would mean a switch to the Europa League. Sturm secured a spot in a European group stage for the sixth consecutive time.
At Tynecastle Park, in a clash between two national runners-up, summer signing Simon Seidl (64th minute)—who had already scored in his competitive debut in the ÖFB Cup—and Emran Soglo (68th minute) sealed the victory after halftime. It was a perfect dress rehearsal ahead of Saturday’s league opener at WSG Tirol.
Graz Inefficient Before the Break
In the pouring rain in Edinburgh, the Graz side fielded the same starting lineup as in the first leg. Defensively, the visitors were rock-solid and allowed hardly any scoring chances. The Styrians were often able to create chances of their own on offense, but the forward duo lacked a clinical finish. Simon Wodarczyk was denied by the goalie from ten meters out (16th minute) and also missed with a header (38th minute).
Seedy Jatta missed two chances (24th, 25th) before, a minute later, he easily slotted the ball in with the outside of his foot from four meters out following a cross from Seidl. However, following a VAR review, Latvian referee Andris Treimanis disallowed the goal due to an alleged foul by Jatta moments earlier.
After play resumed, the action remained largely unchanged. Sturm set the pace, with Seidl (56th) and Jeyland Mitchell (57th) missing further golden opportunities for the time being. On the counterattack, Sturm goalkeeper Daniil Chudjakow was forced to make his only save of the game on a shot by Miller.
After that, the visitors converted their dominance into goals. Jon Gorenc Stankovic delivered a perfect header to Seidl, and the midfielder calmly slotted the ball into the far corner. Four minutes later, Soglo sealed the deal with a lucky tap-in after a shot was briefly blocked. Sturm has never before squandered a four-goal lead after the first leg of a European Cup match.
Heart of Midlothian – SK Sturm Graz 0–2 (0–0)
Edinburgh, Tynecastle Park, Referee Treimanis (LAT)
First leg: 0–4 – Sturm advances to the third qualifying round with an aggregate score of 6–0 to face either Fenerbahçe Istanbul or Gornik Zabrze (August 4, 5, and 11).
Hearts advances to the third qualifying round of the Europa League.
Goals: 0 –1 (64') S. Seidl, 0–2 (68') Soglo
Hearts: Schwolow – Altena, Fagan-Walcott, Kingsley (45+2. Findlay), Milne – Spittal (68. Renaud), McEntee, Guendouz (68. Ba-Sy) – Miller (68. Kabore), Braga, Kyziridis (80. McCart)
Sturm: Chudjakow – Heil, Vallci, Mitchell, Soglo (76. Malic) – S. Seidl, Weinhandl (46' Fosso), Gorenc Stankovic (81' Halwachs), Hödl (76' Mamageishvili) – Wlodarczyk (72' Beganovic), Jatta
Yellow cards: None , or Vallci
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