Tai Baribo gave WAC the lead in front of 10,825 fans with strong help from Graz in the 25th minute and let the Carinthians dream of winning a point until the break. But after the break, Sturm turned the score around in just seven minutes thanks to goals from Otar Kiteishvili (48′), Alexander Borkovic (51′) and Albian Ajeti (54′) and celebrated their eighth win of the season. The Wolfsbergers came back through Thorsten Röcher (90th), but still left the field as a loser for the sixth time.
In Christian Ilzer’s 100th competitive game as a storm coach, the at least short-term table leader also stopped a series of seven lost home duels with the Wolfsbergers. Including the last European Cup results, the people of Graz are now preparing for the upcoming duel in the Uniqa ÖFB Cup with city rivals GAK on Wednesday (6 p.m. live on ORF1) in a high phase.
Sturm im Rotationsmodus
In order to get his team through the English weeks well, Sturm coach Ilzer relied on rotation against the Carinthian neighbors, as expected. Six newcomers compared to the 2-2 draw at Lazio Roma were in the starting XI. However, the coach again considered the regular players Stefan Hierländer, Gregory Wüthrich and Jon Gorenc-Stankovic to be indispensable.
Despite the Ried defeat, WAC coach Robin Dutt was only forced to switch his team to one position: Michael Novak replaced the injured Adis Jasic on the right flank. However, Novak had to move to the center of defense after six minutes because Simon Piesinger had to leave the field injured after an unfortunate collision with his teammate Dominik Baumgartner.
Wolfsberg uses mistakes
One was celebrated by the Sturm fans even before the game: record sales Rasmus Höjlund, now under contract with Atalanta in Bergamo, was officially dismissed. The young star then initially saw dense defenses, few degrees and a chain of errors from his ex-colleagues that put WAC in the lead: Baribo gratefully accepted Jusuf Gazibegovic’s unsuccessful clarification act for his sixth goal of the season. When the striker shot from close range, Jörg Siebenhandl had no chance to defend himself (25′).
The toxic and compact Carinthians then hardly allowed anything with the exception of a big chance from Tomi Horvat (27th) – and almost extended their lead before the break: Siebenhandl saved with his head against Maurice Malone after a mistake by Borkovic (38th minute). ) and kept the gap to just one goal.
Game tilts after changing sides
Six minutes after the break, Sturm were enough to make it 3-1. Substitute Kiteishvili initially saved Wüthrich from a corner and header (48′). Then Borkovic headed a cross from William Böving into the goal via the inside rod (51st) and celebrated a goal as the 16th Sturm player this season. And just a short time later, Ajeti caught David Schnegg’s low cross with his toes (54′).
The WAC faltered, but at least knew how to prevent a debacle. However, the Dutt team was a long way from catching up against an unleashed but subsequently inefficient Grazer. The fact that Ivan Ljubic gave Röcher a gift via a bad pass was of no consequence. The WAC suffered their second away defeat after the one against Salzburg. The Wolfsberg team will play their round of 16 in the second division on Wednesday, Blau Weiß Linz.
Admiral Bundesliga, twelfth round
Sunday:
Sturm – WAC 3:2 (0:1)
Graz, Merkur Arena, 10.825, SR Jäger
Tore:
0:1 Baribo (25.)
1:1 Kiteishvili (48.)
2:1 Borkovic (51.)
3:1 Verse (54.)
3: 2 Röcher (90th)
Sturm: Siebenhandl – Gazibegovic, Wüthrich, Borkovic, Schnegg – Hierländer (46th/Prass), Gorenc-Stankovic (83rd/Ljubic), T. Horvat, Böving (74th/Jantscher) – Sarkaria (46th/Kiteishvili), Ajeti ( 67./Emegha)
WAC: Bonmann – Baumgartner, Piesinger (6th / Veratschnig), Schiffrl – Novak (79th / Vergos), Ballo (58th / Omic), Leitgeb, Kerschbaumer (79th / Taferner), Anzolin – Baribo, Malone (58th / Röcher )
Yellow cards: Novak, Ballo, Veratschnig
The best: Wüthrich, Gorenc-Stankovic, Böving and Bonmann, Baribo
