Sturm Graz suffers heartbreaking defeat against Wiener Austria!

Sturm Graz suffers heartbreaking defeat against Wiener Austria!

In an exciting duel in the 28th round of the Admiral Bundesliga, the SK Sturm Graz lost 1-0 against Wiener Austria today. This defeat marks the second within a week against the same opponent and means that Sturm Graz has to hand over the lead to Viennese Austria. The game started promising for Sturm, but Leon Grgic saw a yellow card for a controversial swallow.

In the course of the first half, the Graz increasingly lost control. In the 28th minute, Böving was expelled after a duel with Ranftl with a red card of the field - a decision that coach Jürgen Saumel criticized as hard and provocative. In the second section, Sturm Graz was lucky when Gregory Wüthrich hit the bar, but luck did not last long. Grgic saw the second yellow card after another duel with Dragovic and was also excluded. Saumel also referred to this exclusion as a wrong decision.

The decisive hit and the reactions

The only goal of the game fell in the 80th minute when Prelec scored after goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen could not properly clarify a corner kick. After the game, Scherpen expressed self -criticism and confessed that he should have been better positioned. Nevertheless, Saumel defended his keeper and called him the best goalkeeper in the league. After this defeat, Sturm Graz is now in the chasing role and has to concentrate on the upcoming games.

In addition to the critical statements of the trainer, players Arjan Malic expressed his displeasure with the defeat, while Sturm is standing without points and two blocked players after the game. The specific referee performance under Walter Altmann was heavily discussed by the players and coaches of the two teams, especially in the context of the previous duels between Austria and Sturm Graz.

Sturm Graz has no game in the Generali-Arena since May 2022. The last encounter between these two teams ended with a 2-2 draw, in which Sturm Graz led 2-0 at halftime. Two yellow-red cards within a few minutes brought the Austria back into the game, which was then characterized by intensive duels and interruptions.

The Wiener Austria is now in a solid place, while Sturm Graz has to deal with the challenge of getting out of the chasing role and making the coming season positively. Against the background of the intensive rivalry between Austria and Rapid, the next four games between these teams without guest fans will take place, which will significantly influence the atmosphere in the stages.

To learn more about the referee statistics and further details, visit Kicker.at .