Now SK Sturm have Atalanta Bergamo in their sights

The setback at the start of the Europa League (1:2 against Sporting) was followed on Thursday by a liberating blow for SK Sturm with 1:0 against Rakov Czestochowa (Czestochowa). With three points on the credit side, self-confidence also increases. “The result is correct, and it was a very important step in achieving our goal of overwintering at international level,” said Stefan Herlander.

According to coach Christian Elzer, not only was the result good, but so was the performance of his men. There were one or two difficult situations in the match where Sturm was a bit unlucky, but: “Otherwise, for me, it was a very mature performance as we executed our plan very well in all phases.”

Gazibegovic is lucky

It is no coincidence that Rakov is a Polish hero and has his class. Sporting director Andreas Schecker explained that the home team was unable to outscore them in this match, especially in the first half, “because we did not allow them to get into the game in the first place.” The Poles did not find sufficient means to free themselves from Graz’s grip in the first 45 minutes. “If you let Rakow play, they will be a really good team,” Sheker said. But the last stage was hectic. “But we defended everything well, and if we ended up winning, you could say it was a good game,” Defense Minister Gregory Wuterich said.

Jusuf Gazibegovic said he should take a deep breath. The fact that his knee remained intact after the fight is nothing short of a miracle. “It’s okay. I fell so much that there was no strong pressure on my knee,” the defender explained.

Thus, thanks to the three points and self-confidence, Ilzer was able to set his next goals: to challenge – and even surprise – Atalanta Bergamo in the next two duels.