"Fantastic game"

“Unbelievable!” Sturm Now Fully in the Promotion Race

Great jubilation among Oumar Diakite and the team.(Bild: APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU)

With nine players out and a traditional club from soccer powerhouse France as their opponent, the challenge facing Sturm Graz was a tough one. With a young squad, Austria’s runner-up rose to the occasion with flying colors. Sturm celebrated its first victory in the Europa League with a 1-0 (1-0) home win against Olympique Marseille and, with four points from a difficult opening schedule, is now firmly in the race to advance to the knockout stage.

“A fantastic soccer match by my team,” coach Fabio Ingolitsch rightly summed up. Sturm clearly dominated the first half and, after taking the lead through Oumar Diakite (13th minute), only fell short in their finishing. “We were aggressive, tenacious, won a lot of balls, and had two or three more moments with great scoring chances—we could have been more efficient there,” the coach said.

Fabio Ingolitsch(Bild: APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU)

His team made up for their lack of efficiency with a strong defensive performance. The team from Marseille—estimated to have a market value of 190 million euros—had little to offer offensively aside from a shot off the post late in the first half.

Success with a young squad
Over 14,000 fans in Graz witnessed a true test of character from a team featuring seven players who are 23 years old or younger. The youngest of them made the decisive play. The 17-year-old Luca Weinhandl won the ball in one of the team’s many strong high-pressing situations and sent Diakite on his way to the game-winning goal with a perfect pass. “What the team is accomplishing in its current lineup is incredible and very satisfying,” explained Ingolitsch, who had to do without key players such as playmaker Otar Kiteishvili, forward Seedy Jatta, and goalie Daniil Chudjakov.

You make up for the high-profile absences with “a clear playing philosophy—that makes it’s easier to replace players one-for-one,” said Ingolitsch, who decided after warm-ups not to play veteran Jürgen Heil, who was struggling with calf muscle issues. At halftime, he also took Diakite out of the game to give him a rest—a move that the striker, who had been so accurate of late, was not particularly pleased with. But given the personnel situation and the packed schedule, Ingolitsch doesn’t want to take any risks.

Hoping for three points against Celje
On Sunday, SV Ried comes to Graz, and in two weeks, on November 5, NK Celje. The Slovenians fought back from a 0–2 deficit to earn a 2–2 draw at home against Red Bull Salzburg on Thursday. If Sturm picks up three points, they’d be well on their way to the knockout stage with seven points at the halfway mark.

“Our goal is definitely to get at least ten points. We now have a very important home game against Celje,” said Ingolitsch. “At home, we can beat any opponent,” he said confidently, expressing his belief that the team can take the next step.