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Sturm Graz before a critical Europa League game: A win is needed!
Sturm Graz will fight against Panathinaikos in the Europa League on November 26th, 2025. Coach demands top performance despite pressure.
Sturm Graz before a critical Europa League game: A win is needed!
Sturm Graz is under pressure as the team prepares for their Europa League game against Panathinaikos on Thursday at 9pm. Graz's recent performances have been anything but convincing, with four points from four games in the group stage. Coach Jürgen Säumel has clear expectations of his players and demands top performance in order to end the lack of success.
The team is currently in 25th place in the standings, tied on points with Red Star Belgrade. The last Bundesliga win was over a month ago and four of the last seven competitive games were lost. Otar Kiteishvili expressed concern about the current situation, while Jon Gorenc Stankovic assured that the team was aware of the reasons for the defeats.
Challenges and changes
Sports director Michael Parensen criticized the lack of consistency in the game and the excessive focus on combination play, which leads to a one-sided style of play. The visitors from Athens, coached by Rafael Benitez, have found their way back after a weak start to the season and have won five of their last six games, most recently with a 2-1 win against PAOK.
Sturm Graz is hoping to achieve its first European Cup away win since February 2024. However, the omens are not the best as several new signings, including Renato Sanches, are not eligible to play in the European Cup. Dimitri Lavalee travels to Athens as a new father, which brings with it additional emotional burdens.
Fan support and weather conditions
Around 1,200 fans from Graz are expected to accompany their team to Athens for the away game. However, the weather, which predicts rain, could pose an additional challenge.
The overall overview of the Europa League group shows that Sturm Graz is in a difficult position. With one win, one draw and two losses, the team has little room for error. In the group they face teams with stronger statistics, such as Midtjylland, Freiburg and Ferencváros, all of whom are successful in their group.
As the team prepares for the game, it remains to be seen whether they can turn things around. A victory against Panathinaikos is crucial to overcome the emerging crisis and find new hope.
Laola1 reports, that …