“It will be crucial for us how we contest the first two laps in order to have a chance of second place. We need a good start, that’s our goal,” said Schmid the day before the game. There are then two trips for Austria.
Lech Poznan is waiting Thursday in a week’s time. The Poles are in action at the Spanish favorites Villarreal on the first matchday. Austria will be making a guest appearance in Valencia in just under a month, on October 6th. The second in the table may compete in the sixteenth final in spring.
Austria hopes to win against Hapoel Beer Sheva
The Conference League begins for Austria Vienna on Thursday with the game against Hapoel Beer Scheva. The Viennese are hoping for a win against the Israeli runners-up.
Austria had to wait five years to participate in a group phase. In the previous year in the qualification for the Conference League against the Icelandic representative Breidablik there was an embarrassing out. Schmid now spoke of “huge anticipation. That’s what makes every Austrian’s heart beat faster.” At the same time, the six appearances are associated with a “huge challenge”.
UEFA Conference League
Group phase, first matchday, 6.45 p.m. (live on ORF1):
Austria – Beer Scheva
Viola Park, SR Fesnic (ROU)
Possible lineups:
Austria: Früchtl – Ranftl, Mühl, Galvao, Martins – Braunöder, Holland – Gruber, Fitz, Fischer – Tabakovic
Beer Scheva: Glazer – Dadia, Elhamed, Tibi, Lopes – Keltjens, Bareiro – Sulejmanow, Micha, Ansah – Selmani
Reinhold Ranftl, James Holland and Andreas Gruber know the international exhilaration from their time at LASK. In 2019/20 and 2020/21, Linz caused a sensation in the Europa League. “We want to ride that wave again. I think that’s possible again,” said Ranftl.
Long road for Hapoel
Hapoel Beer Sheva will object. The way of the guests in the Conference League was long. The club from the city of 200,000 in southern Israel started in the second qualifying round and worked their way through Dinamo Minsk (2:1, 1:0), the Swiss representative Lugano (2:0, 3:1) and Universitatea Craiova Romania (1: 1, 1: 1/4: 3 on penalties) ahead. In the draw, Beer Sheva was drawn from pot two. The coach is former Israeli international and ex-Hapoel player Elyaniv Barda.
Last season, the red and white finished the league second behind Maccabi Haifa. The Israeli Cup final went to Hapoel in a duel with the penalty shoot-out champion. The most recent comparison with the current Champions League participants was also balanced. Last weekend, Haifa won 2-1 thanks to a goal in the 92nd minute. Hapoel played short for a half in a heated game – not for the first time this season. Hapoel have ended two out of three games in the championship with ten men.
Unpleasant opponent
“They act extremely aggressively in duels, without considering losses. We have to fight back, it’s going to be a tough fight,” said Schmid. But Hapoel is also a team that can play football. “If you let them.”
Ranftl also saw a possible advantage in the hardness of the opponent, which should be exploited with slyness. “You have to provoke that to a certain extent. If you do it cleverly, you can tempt the opponent a little,” said the right-back.
Beer Shewa trainer defends himself against allegations of harshness
Hapoel trainer Barda said in a reply to the statements made by the Viennese: “I was a striker myself and had to take a lot. Our team is not aggressive or violent. It’s a team that fights for every ball to the end, and that’s how I want to see it too.” According to the 40-year-old, Austria is an excellent team with a great tradition in Europe. “But we want to start the group phase with a good result.”
A lot will depend on how Austria can minimize the defensive mistakes of the past few weeks. In terms of personnel, two young professionals returned to training. After tearing his cruciate ligament, Ziad El Sheiwi played his first half for the Young Violets in the second division. But it would be too early to play in the first team. Muharem Huskovic is also available again after his hip injury, the striker would probably be an option as a substitute.
