GAK celebrates historic win against Rapid after almost 20 years!

GAK celebrates historic win against Rapid after almost 20 years!

On November 24, 2025, GAK secured a significant 2-1 win against SK Rapid, celebrating their second win of the season and first win against their arch-rivals in almost two decades. With this triumphant outcome, the GAK can hand over the Red Lantern to Blau-Weiß Linz. Coach Ferdinand Feldhofer praised the committed appearance of his team, who put Rapid under pressure from the start and effectively disrupted their combination play.

GAK took the lead in the first half with a penalty from captain Daniel Maderner. This decision, which was made by referee Harald Lechner after an intervention by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), was confirmed by the review. A foul by Marco Tilio on Jacob Italiano in stoppage time led to the decisive penalty. Maderner made it 1-0 for his team, which underlined his performance as captain.

Gameplay and strategic strength

After Rapid's equalizer, Ramiz Harakate managed to score the decisive goal for GAK. The team demonstrated a compact defensive performance and only allowed a few opportunities for the opponents, which formed the basis for their success. Feldhofer now expects an exciting and difficult game against Blau-Weiß Linz, in which the GAK wants to prove itself again.

The role of VAR has changed significantly in modern football. Currently, technology not only ensures more precise decisions on the pitch, but also discussions about the flow of the game. A comprehensive update to the VAR system was introduced in 2025, which includes, among other things, semi-automatic offside detection and AI-supported ball tracking. These advances enable improved assessment of fouls and handballs.

Criticism and acceptance of the VAR

Despite these developments, there is ongoing criticism of the VAR. Players often react cautiously before a decision is made, which influences emotions on the sidelines and limits spontaneous moments of celebration. Technical errors continue to be an issue and the average game extension has increased by 3.2 minutes. Spectators and fans are divided on the usefulness of VAR; some appreciate the opportunity to correct errors, while others regret the loss of the human moment in football.

Overall, VAR remains an integral part of the modern game, whose impact and acceptance continues to be debated.According to laola1.at, the VAR check in the GAK game against Rapid was an example of how this technology works. Further details about VAR technology can be found at mrfitnesswearables.com.

With this victory, the GAK not only gained three important points, but also gained self-confidence for the challenges ahead. All eyes are now on the next game, where the team wants to show that their performances continue to improve.

This game remains a bitter pill to swallow for Rapid and the team will have to work to get back to winning ways in the coming matches.