LASK remains in a sovereign fashion in the race for the group stage of the European Cup for the third time in a row. On Thursday, Linz won the second leg of the FA Cup third preliminary round against Serbia’s representative Vojvodina Novi Sad in the alternate quarters in Klagenfurt by 6:1 (1:1) and moved up to play with a score of 7:1-off on. There is an obstacle to overcome with Scottish Cup winner St Johnston.
LASK set the early lead through Urus Kabic (13th) and held it thanks to a solid performance, as well as a brace by Mamoudo Karamoko (34/penalty, 53rd) and other goals by Thomas Gueginger (56th), Marvin Putzmann (67th) and Huseyin Balic (80th). ) and Alexander Schmidt (87) have the upper hand. In the decisive duel for entry into the group stage, the Linzers will meet on August 19-26 in St. Johnston. The Scots, who did not participate in the European group stage, lost to Galatasaray Istanbul after a 1-1 draw in the first leg 2-4 and have to move to the third category.
After a narrow but deserved 1-0 win in the first leg, it wasn’t easy for LASK in exile at Wörthersee, at least at first. “Business first and foremost,” Thalhammer was already anticipating for his team in advance. He moved up three places from last 1-1 in WSG Tirol, alternating with Yannis Letard, Goiginger and Balic in the starting lineup instead of Dario Maresic, Hong and Schmidt.
The match started with a shot from Goiginger (keeper Simic/6) from LASK’s point of view not bad. However, the guests also – not quite as expected – showed some attacking spirit and delivered the first shock: the Linzers didn’t clear the ball properly, Letard finally made another foul, and Kabic unsustainably withdrew for Alexander Schlager in the penalty area.
Upper Austria reacted appropriately after a brief moment of shock, bringing the now more defensive Serbs to dynamic play and plenty of movement even without the ball under pressure, even if they had to give up real chances for now. Karamoko’s 16th start was too quick for Aleksandar Bosnik: he scored the offense with a precise low shot into the left corner himself.
Balic (41.) and Lukas Grgic (45.) had good chances to take the lead against Simic before the break, after the break, Simic decisively intervened against Karamoko (49.). A little later, Karamoko scored twice after a counter-attack and a defensive foul, and just three minutes later Guijinger was there with the initial decision.
LASK’s team didn’t calm down clearly against the gifted Serbs: Substitute Botzman headed 4:1 after a “dance” involving a cross from Grgic, and Balic increased it to 5:1 with an accurate long-range shot at the end. In a collaboration between two Jokers after helping Enrique Wilde, Schmidt tops the final score.
