The Austrian media withdraw after the 3-0 defeat Storm Graz in return for Feyenoord clear conclusions. Sturm had no chance in Rotterdam and never had the feeling that there was more to it, according to newspapers and sports websites.
In the first match under new coach Fabio Ingolitsch, the stakes were high: Sturm had to win. But according to Delivery mana national newspaper, the duel of the last hope was decided early. The newspaper writes that Sturm ‘was only able to keep up at times’ and that Feyenoord ‘kept the spaces very small’, meaning that the Austrian national champions hardly had any clear-cut opportunities. The premature European farewell is described as inevitable.
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Also Oe24a major sports and news site, does not spare Sturm. The medium states that ‘the European dream has definitively shattered’ and that the match was pushed in a decisive direction early on. After rest there was according to Oe24 there was no longer any doubt: Feyenoord broke the resistance and ‘convincingly ended all remaining hope’.
Bee Laola1a leading Austrian sports website, makes the same assessment, albeit more down-to-earth. Sturm got ‘a cold shower’ and had ‘hardly any good moments’ offensively. “Commitment and struggle were present, but there was a lack of creativity and decisiveness to really cause Feyenoord problems.”
‘Feyenoord dominated the match’
Also Sky Sport Austria is clear in the summary of the match. The channel states that Feyenoord ‘had complete control of the match’ and that Sturm, despite a brief revival after the break, did not find a structural answer. The 3-0 final score is seen as a correct reflection of the balance of power on the field.
Feyenoord is described in the Austrian as stable, efficient and dominant enough to seal Sturm’s European fate before the last round. Thanks to the victory, Robin van Persie’s team has a chance to reach the knockout phase of the Europa League.
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