West Ham, who had already won the first game at Dinamo Zagreb 2-0, laid the foundation for their home win in front of 58,000 spectators before the break. After two pole toppers, Rice brought the Londoners into the lead from close range. As a result, Rapid kept the game visually open, but hardly had any compelling chances to score. In stoppage time Benrahma (90 + 4) ended all hopes of the Viennese on one point. An alleged penalty for Rapid in the 72nd minute was withdrawn after a video study by referee Tobias Stieler.
After the 0-1 defeat at home against KRC Genk in the Europa League, the Viennese are still waiting for the first point and the first goal and are last in the group H table. At the top is West Ham with a maximum of six points ahead of Dinamo Zagreb, which clearly prevailed 3-0 at Genk. Rapid has the next chance for points back home in two weeks. Dinamo Zagreb will be visiting the Allianz Stadium on October 21st.
Rapid lost to West Ham
Rapid cannot prevail against West Ham United and loses 2-0 at the London Stadium. It is the second defeat in the second game for the Viennese.
Easy conversion at Rapid
Because the motto “Never change a winning team” is difficult to apply in view of the current results, coach Kühbauer also rebuilt his team in three positions compared to the 3-0 defeat against Sturm Graz. Srdjan Grahovac, Kevin Wimmer and Ercan Kara slipped into the starting line-up instead of Filip Stojkovic, Robert Ljubicic and Marco Grüll. Above all, Wimmer’s experience in games in England – the 28-year-old had once defended at Tottenham and Stoke City on the “island” – should give the green and white defense the necessary stability.
The formation of the “Irons” from West Ham had little in common with the line-up expected in advance. Because coach David Moyes made seven changes in the starting line-up against the supposed outsider from Vienna. But at least young star Declan Rice, whose market value alone is twice as high as that of the entire Hütteldorfer squad at 70 million euros, got to see the approximately 1,500 Rapid fans who traveled with them right from the start.
Stange prevents a quick start in London
Despite the change in formation, the Londoners made it clear from the first minute how West Ham’s first home game in a European group stage should end. The home side put pressure on and constricted Rapid in their own half. And it was less than eight minutes before the guests were allowed to thank Fortuna that it was not already 0: 1 from their point of view: First a placed header from Rice jumped back into the field, then Issa Diop also put the margin just over.
The Rapidler followed coach Kühbauer’s announcement and tried not to hide. As a result, the Viennese conquered the ball again and again after the first storm and stress phase in London. And so there was a Rapid shot on goal in the first quarter of an hour. But Taxiarchis Fountas could be happy after a counterattack that his hasty noble scooter from around 25 meters was not taken as a personal insult by West Ham goalie Alphonse Areola (14th).
West Ham scores on the third attempt
Rapid subsequently kept the game a little more open and the hosts better away from the goal. But the hopes of getting into the break without conceding a goal finally burst like the soap bubbles sung about in the West Ham club song a quarter of an hour before the end of the first half. Rice took advantage of the positional play of the Rapid defense and pushed the ball into the empty goal after a Stangl pass from Michail Antonio to – due to the chances – deserved lead for the Londoners (29th). Almost immediately before that, Craig Dawson also failed with a massive header on the pole (28th).
After all, the Hütteldorfer players cope with the deficit better than many a fan who traveled with them. Because some fans of the Viennese and hooligans from a dangerously close West Ham block first exchanged words and projectiles after the goal. The stewards struggled to bring the angry mob under control on both sides. The best phase of the guests could have been seen on the square. Because there was no shock in the Rapid team, they appeared more self-confident than when they were 0-0. Kelvin Arase came close to equalizing from a good position, but his shot was blocked (38th).
VAR fails Rapid Penalty
At the beginning of the second half only the weather had changed. Because while both teams came out of the cabin unchanged, rain had set in compared to the first half. After all, the water also cooled the minds on the exposed lower parts of the fan blocks. It wasn’t really hot on the lawn during this phase either. West Ham didn’t push the pace as fast as they did at the beginning of the game. Therefore, Rapid stayed in the game. However, there was a lack of speed and creativity. The Londoners had it easy to form in defense when the guests lost the ball.
From the 61st minute it was at least around on the sidelines. Because both Kühbauer and Moyes freshened up their formations with a triple exchange each. At Rapid, instead of Kara and Koya Kitagawa for Fountas on the offensive, Grüll should provide more ideas in the attack. Stojkovic also replaced Leo Greiml, who had seen the yellow card shortly before, in defense. After all, the Rapidler came up with a chance just five minutes after the substitutions: Kitagawa used Arase once more, but just like before the break, the 22-year-old’s shot attempt was blocked (66th).
Shortly before the Rapid quarter of an hour, the West Ham fans dropped the proverbial “Ladl”. Because referee Tobias Stieler pointed to the penalty spot after an attack by Benjamin Johnson on Grüll. However, the video referee whistled the German back after studying the pictures but no contact could be determined between the players. The decision was reversed (72nd). The Rapidler’s last hope of gaining points was thus shattered. Because the guests didn’t get another chance to equalize. On the contrary: Benrahma made it 2-0 with a placed shot in stoppage time (90 + 4) after Jarrod Bowen had shot past the empty goal.
Voices for the game:
Dietmar Kühbauer (Rapid Trainer): “The team played a good game, but internationally you still need a little more. They did everything they could, we would have needed more up front, but their performance was absolutely okay. Everyone suspected that we would be hard hit here. We didn’t allow much and would have had balls forward, but they weren’t played well. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for the 911, as I heard. I do think that this game should give us a boost for the next tasks. “
Zoran Barisic (Rapid Sport Managing Director): “From the bank I thought it was a 911, but you don’t have to give it as you saw. West Ham put us under pressure, especially at the beginning. Looking ahead, we didn’t make the right decisions to get into better closing situations. As we continued, we were braver and more courageous and took the reins in hand, but we didn’t make the right decisions in the last third. All in all it was a wonderful and good experience for the guys, they did well and presented themselves positively. “
David Moyes (West-Ham-Trainer): “We are happy with the result. It was a difficult game and Rapid put in a great performance. You played better today than in the last championship games. But our victory is okay, even if it was a close game until the end. “
UEFA Europa League, Group H, second matchday
Thursday:
West Ham – Rapid Vienna 2: 0 (1: 0)
London Stadium, 58,000, SR Stieler (GER)
Tore:
1:0 Rice (29.)
2:0 Benrahma (94.)
West Ham: Areola – Johnson, Dawson, Diop, Cresswell – Rice, Noble (62./Soucek) – Jarmolenko (76./Fornals), Benrahma, Vlasic (62./Lanzini) – Antonio (62./Bowen)
Rapid: Gartler – Aiwu, Greiml (62./Stojkovic), Wimmer, Ullmann (74./Auer) – Petrovic (81./Ljubicic), Grahovac – Arase, Knasmüllner, Fountas (62./Kitagawa) – Kara (62./Grüll )
Yellow cards: Diop or Grahovac, Greiml
The best: Rice, Antonio, Dawson and Grüll, Aiwu
