The Lustenau team set the course for victory against a weak Styrian early on, after Lukas Fridrika’s opening goal (15′), Hartberg’s Manuel Pfeifer flew off after an emergency brake (19′). Tobias Berger (32nd) and again Fridrikas (40th) made it 3-0 before the break. Yadaly Diaby scored after a change of sides with a penalty (52′), Donis Avdijaj improved the result (79′), and then Anthony Schmid scored (86′).
Lustenau has thus kept the chance of a European Cup ticket and will meet WAC on Monday, who have home rights as the winner of the qualifying group. After the semifinals, which will be decided in one game, the finals will be played against the fifth-placed team from the champions’ group, which according to the current status would be Wiener Austria.
Lustenau storms into the European Cup play-off
Austria Lustenau made it into the European Cup play-off on Friday, the 32nd and final day of the Admiral Bundesliga, with a 5-1 home win against TSV Egger Glas Hartberg.
Clearly superior to Lustenau
The Hartbergers would have kept their European Cup chance with a win in the “Ländle”, but Markus Schopp’s team was far away from three points. Even when there was a tie, Lustenauer Austria presented themselves as a clearly superior team. Anderson missed a Stangl pass from Berger by a hair’s breadth (10′) and Diaby tested TSV goalie Raphael Sallinger with a long-range shot (13′) before Fridrikas struck for the first time. The striker pushed in after a pass from Stefano Surdanovic.
A little later, Pfeifer was excluded for an emergency brake against Anderson. Sallinger briefly parried the free-kick awarded for this purpose and taken by Diaby, and Dario Tadic saved on the line when Pius Grabher took a follow-up shot (22′). The next Lustenau goal resulted from a serious mistake by Jürgen Heil. The defender wanted to play in his own sixteen with his chest for Mario Sonnleitner, who is leaving Hartberg in the summer. However, the ball landed in front of Berger’s feet, the defender thanked him and was able to celebrate his first Bundesliga goal.
Surdanovic missed the chance to make it 4-0. The Serb got a shot from top position after a remarkable Lustenau attack, but aimed over the bar (36′). Hartberg coach Schopp was angry because of the indisposition of his protégés, he reacted with a triple change before the break.
Hartberg still operates results cosmetics
This measure no longer had any influence on the course of the game. The home side continued to dictate events after the break and Diaby’s penalty erased the last doubts about the winner of the match. Lustenau’s Jean Hugonet hit the post in the 59th minute, but Avdijaj scored the Hartberger goal on the other end. In this phase, the Lustenauers were already acting in a gentle manner and were thus able to save energy for the play-off game on Monday, but this did not prevent them from putting the end to the game thanks to a header from substitute Schmid.
Comments on the game:
Marcus Mader (Lustenau coach): “It was impressive how my team performed and how eager they were to win. The victory was absolutely deserved, even at this altitude. The team is excited to play football for another week.”
Markus Schop (Hartberg trainer): “Perhaps the boiler wasn’t steaming as it should have steamed. We made it very easy for our opponents from the first minute, the game was over with the red card. But we got a lot out of spring. Lustenau deserve to be where they are because of the whole season. They should have led much higher much sooner. I assume that I will continue to be in Hartberg next season. I can well imagine working in a role comparable to that of a Premier League manager.”
Admiral Bundesliga, qualifying group, 32nd and final round
Freitag:
Lustenau – Hartberg 5: 1 (3: 0)
Lustenau, Reichshofstadion, 4,300 spectators, SR Weinberger
Torfolge:
1:0 Fridrikas (15.)
2:0 Berger (32.)
3:0 Fridrikas (40.)
4: 0 Diabi (52’/penalty)
4:1 Avdijaj (79.)
5:1 Schmid (86.)
Lustenau: Schierl – Gmeiner, Maak (60th/Grujcic), Hugonet, Berger (78th/Adriel) – Grabher (65th/Rhein), Tiefenbach – Anderson (60th/Motika), Surdanovic, Diaby – Fridrikas (78th/Schmid). )
Hartberg: Sallinger – Heil (43./Farkas), Sonnleitner, Gollner (43./Rotter), Pfeifer – Kainz, Diakite (84./Fadinger) – Frieser, Sangare, Avdijaj – Tadic (43./Kriwak)
Red card: Pfeifer (19th/scoring)
Yellow cards: none or Farkas, Diakite
The best: Fridrikas, Diaby, Surdanovic, Hugonet or none
