Heated Showdown

LIVE: 1–0! Sturm celebrates just before halftime

Oumar Diakité scored both goals for Sturm Graz.(Bild: GEPA)

SK Sturm Graz came out on top in a heated Bundesliga clash against Austria Vienna! The Graz team celebrated a 2-0 away victory in the capital on Saturday. Oumar Diakite emerged as the match hero, securing the three points for the Styrians with a brace.However, a controversial penalty call in favor of the Graz team caused quite a stir.

Sturm Graz has kept pace with the top teams in the Bundesliga. Despite several absences, the runner-up defeated Wiener Austria 2-0 (1-0). Oumar Diakite was the man of the match. The 22-year-old scored seconds before halftime (45’+1) and added his third goal of the season from the penalty spot (55’). Sturm now trails Salzburg—currently in first place—by four points. Austria remains stuck in tenth place after suffering its third home loss.

(Bild: GEPA)

With an eye on the standings, Sturm desperately needed the points, but coach Fabio Ingolitsch’s team had to do without no fewer than eight players due to injuries in Vienna’s Favoriten district. Jürgen Heil was also suspended. Only Arjen Malic was fit to play. Up front, Diakite—on loan from Stade Reims—started as a striker. For Austria, coach Stephan Helm initially kept international players Lee Tae-seok, Vasilije Markovic, and Kelvin Boateng on the bench.

A hard-fought match in Vienna-Favoriten
The visitors put early pressure on the purple defense. After a quickly taken throw-in, Simon Seidl appeared in front of Samuel Sahin-Radlinger in the 5th minute but failed to make solid contact with the ball. Austria struggled to relieve the pressure and achieved only partial success. Johannes Eggestein missed the far corner after a long ball, and Sanel Saljic headed the ball into the net after a quarter of an hour, but was offside. Overall, however, Helm’s team remained too harmless on offense.

(Bild: APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)

  Amid the Viennese drizzle, the match remained intense, though there was room for improvement in terms of play, particularly on many high balls. The Graz team played with more intensity. Diakite was unable to get past Sahin-Radlinger after Hödl’s assist, but the Ivorian striker struck seconds before the halftime whistle. After Luca Weinhandl fought for the ball against Saljic, Diakite headed the young star’s cross over the line from point-blank range.

First a yellow card, then a goal for Diakite
The 22-year-old remained the most prominent player in his third league appearance. Referee Walter Altmann initially brandished a yellow card for a “dive” by the forward in a duel with Reinhold Ranftl inside the penalty area. But the VAR intervened. Altmann reversed his decision to award a penalty kick, which Diakite converted with confidence. Less than ten minutes later, his game was over. Axel Kayombo came on to replace Sturm’s match-winner.

Austria made offensive substitutions but ran the risk of conceding more goals. Seidl failed to capitalize on a double chance, with Sahin-Radlinger stopping him twice. In the closing minutes, Austria pressed once more, but substitute Boateng missed a chance to pull one back in the 82nd minute, as did Julian Hettwer shortly afterward. Following their recent away losses to Rapid and Salzburg, Sturm successfully held on for the win. In their busy schedule, the Graz team will continue on Thursday with another away game in the Europa League in Bournemouth.

FK Austria Vienna – SK Sturm Graz 0–2 (0–1)
Vienna, Generali Arena, 14,351 spectators, Referee Altmann.

Goals: 0–1 (45’+1) Diakite, 0–2 (55’) Diakite (penalty kick)

Austria: Sahin-Radlinger – Handl, Dragovic, Buhari (64’ Hettwer) – Nnodim (80. Lee T.), Müller, Maybach (64. V. Markovic), Ranftl – Saljic (80. Boateng), Eggestein, Fischer (86. Wustinger)

Sturm: Chudjakov – Malic, Quarshie, Koller, Balbo – Hödl (86. Petrovic), Gorenc Stankovic (80. Halwachs), Weinhandl, Matoshi – S. Seidl, O. Diakite (64. Kayombo)

Yellow cards: Nnodim, Helm (coach) and Weinhandl, Balbo