Vice hero Sturm wants to celebrate again against LASK

Ahead of the final round of the Bundesliga on Saturday (from 5 p.m. in the Sport24 live stream tape), Graz residents have already been confirmed as runners-up, and Linzers third place has also been decided. “We want to show a worthy finish to the season and go to the maximum performance,” said Sturm coach Christian Elzer, whose team could defeat LASK only in the Bundesliga season.

Sturm inflicted at least one defeat on all ten of his other opponents. However, so far, there has been only one point out of three encounters against LASK, and this balance must be improved again in the end. “We’re playing against a big opponent. I expect a great game, and then we can celebrate. Everyone deserves it,” Elzer said.

In the league, Sturm had been in close contact with Salzburg for a long time and kept the championship race open until three laps before the end. In addition, Graz won the ÖFB Cup, and on the way there eliminated LASK in the semi-finals. Despite an unfortunate group-stage exit in the Europa League, Sturm have also proven their class a number of times at international level. “It was a great ride with many highlights, but also an agonizing hour or two,” Ilzer analyzed.

LASK wants to know again

In the course of the home final, deserving players will be seen off by a storm. Outgoing goalkeeper Jörg Seppenhandl received a guarantee against LASK from Ilzer: “Jörg will start tomorrow, he deserves it.” In addition to Seppenhandl, Sandro Ingolic, Ivan Ljubic and Alban Ajeti will all leave the club.

LASK’s highly successful season ends on Saturday. After the sovereign first round, the Linz team gained gear in the main group, scoring only one defeat in this group and consolidating third place with a solid lead. Coach Dietmar Kohbauer is still hoping for a positive result. “Nothing can change in the schedule, but we still want to play well on Saturday,” said the coach.

Due to the fact that the game was pointless at the table, Kühbauer was aware that the air was sometimes a little off. “But there are definitely two very good teams facing each other, so it can definitely get strong again.” And it was not clear until the end whether goalkeeper Alexander Schlager, who left for Salzburg, would return again in the end. In the last laps, his successor Tobias Lawal was already guarding the goal for Linz.

Data and facts about the game

SK Sturm Graz – LASK
Graz, Mercure Arena
to rule: Fester
Previous season results: 0:1 (h), 1:1 (a), 1:2 (a). OFB Cup semi-finals: 1:0 (h)

Storm: Siebenhandl – Gazibegovic, Affengruber, Wüthrich, Dante – Hierländer, Gorenc Stankovic, Kiteishvili, Prass – Sarkaria and Emegha
lacks to: Ajeti, Borkovic (both muscle injuries), Ingolic (fibula)

Lusk: Lawal – Stojkovic, Xeres, Luckender, Botzman – Horvath, Michorl – Flickr, Zolge, Nakamura – Mustafa
lacks to: Anselm, Puller, Littard, Tawi, Wesinger