Conference League: LASK ends group unbeaten

Husein Balic (41st), Keito Nakamura (63rd) and Andreas Gruber (81st) ensured clear conditions in the Wörthersee Stadium, which was empty due to the lockdown, and gave LASK their fifth win in their sixth game. Only against Maccabi Tel Aviv did the Upper Austrians not win at home with a 1-1 on the second matchday and also conceded the only goal in the group stage. With 16 points and a goal difference of 12: 1, LASK finished the group stage as the best team in the Conference League.

Wieland and his athletes from Linz will have to wait until next year for their opponent in the round of 16. The draw for the round of the best 16 will not take place until February. On Monday, the play-off with the runners-up will be drawn first. LASK competes in the Bundesliga with Austria on Sunday.

Troubled beginning

LASK coach Andreas Wieland rotated seven players from the first team compared to the OÖ derby against Ried on Sunday. Among others, veteran Thomas Gebauer came to one of his seldom appearances in goal. In the three-point defense, Yannis Letard and Dario Maresic tried to recommend themselves for other tasks. On the offensive, Andreas Gruber made his first starting eleven since he suffered a cruciate ligament rupture in February.

The athletes noticed the lack of automatism, the guests from Finland could have already led 2-0 after 14 minutes after chances from Santeri Hostikka and Roope Riski. But then the Linzers took command and in turn came up with opportunities. One missed Balic in the 33rd minute, who hit a Renner-Stangl pass from the left against the crossbar. Hong Hyun Seok then headed from a short distance directly on HJK support Hugo Keto. Four minutes before the break, Balic did better, moving from the left into the center of the box and defeating Keto.

LASK pulls away

At the beginning of the second half, the opponents in the Wörthersee Stadium neutralized each other to some extent. The now highly attacking Finns had slight advantages, but there was no class to convert that into goals. Again about 20 minutes passed before the LASK was able to take offensive kick. Then the substitute Nakamura succeeded after Stanglpass von Gruber with the 2-0 the preliminary decision, after that the Wieland-Elf left nothing to burn. Gruber – based on a nice template by Sascha Horvath – was allowed to finalize with his head.

Voices for the game:

Andreas Wieland (LASK trainer): “At the beginning, the ground caused us some problems today, but we improved noticeably over the course of the game. I’m really happy for our three goalscorers, and it’s also very positive that we again kept a clean sheet. It was another well-deserved victory in the Conference League and a great end to a very successful group stage. “

Husain Balic (LASK goalscorer): “We started the game with the aim of becoming group winners. We succeeded in that, and unbeaten at that. I’m happy that I managed to hit one too. “

Andreas Gruber (LASK goalscorer): “A compliment to the team, we rotated a lot, but we really wanted to win, so that we would remain unbeaten in the Conference League. We succeeded and I am overjoyed. In the first 15, 20 minutes you have to find yourself when you rotate so much. A whole new defense at the back, that is of course very difficult for them. But I think we got it under control very well and didn’t allow anything at all in the second half. “

UEFA Europa Conference League, Group A, sixth matchday

Thursday:

LASK – HJK Helsinki 3: 0 (1: 0)

Klagenfurt, Wörthersee Stadium, SR Pajac (CRO)

Tore:
1:0 Balic (41.)
2:0 Nakamura (63.)
3:0 Gruber (81.)

LASK: Gebauer – Letard (60./Wiesinger), Maresic, Luckeneder – Flecker (77./Horvath), Holland (46./Grgic), Michorl, Renner – Gruber, Balic (60./Goiginger), Hong (46./Nakamura )

Helsinki: Keto – Moren, Tenho, Halsti, Kouassivi-Benissan (88./Peltola) – Tanaka (63./Väänänen), Lingman, Hostikka (88./Ri. Risk) – Browne (87./Murillo), Ro. Riski (77./Valencic), Olusanya

Yellow cards: Michorl, Gruber or Halsti, Tenho, Kouassivi-Benissan

The best: Gruber, Michorl, Balic and Hostikka