Defending champion LASK secured a dramatic 5–4 victory after extra time against local rival SV Ried in the Uniqa ÖFB-Cup round of 16 at the Raiffeisen Arena, as reported by sport.ORF.at. The thrilling encounter required 120 minutes of intense football before the Linz side finally stamped their ticket to the quarterfinals.
Raiffeisen Arena Drama Unfolds
The match began with LASK firmly controlling possession and pinning the visiting team deep in their own half. However, early wastefulness in front of goal proved costly for the hosts. Krystof Danek missed wide of the long corner in the 29th minute, and Sasa Kalajdzic squandered a clear opportunity just one minute later. Ried punished those misses against the run of play in the 36th minute when Yusuf Maart converted a counterattack following a pass from Martin Rasner, putting the visitors ahead.
Ried Extends Lead Before LASK Responds
Ried doubled their advantage immediately after the interval. Isaac Thelin headed in from close range in the 47th minute following an assist from Stefan Schwab that carried suspicion of offside. LASK reacted instantly, with defender Joao Tornich heading home in the 51st minute to reduce the deficit to 1–2. Despite sustained pressure from the hosts—including near misses from Robert Ljubicic and Sunday Faleye Usor—Ried retained their clinical edge. Maart struck again in the 76th minute, turning in a cross from Schwab to restore a two-goal cushion at 1–3.
Extra-Time Winner Settles Nine-Goal Thriller
LASK refused to yield in the closing stages. Ljubicic scored in the 84th minute, and Denso Kasius Mbuyamba equalized with a powerful long-range strike in the second minute of stoppage time (90+2′) to force extra time. In the additional period, Usor fired LASK ahead 4–3 in the 111th minute following a through ball from Andres Andrade. Samuel Adeniran extended the lead to 5–3 in the 120th minute. Although Philipp Pomer pulled one back for Ried immediately afterward in the 120+1st minute—deflected by Miguel Freckleton—the final whistle confirmed LASK’s progression.
Reactions From the Technical Area
Reflecting on the grueling contest, LASK head coach Dietmar Kühbauer acknowledged the difficult path his team navigated. According to sport.ORF.at, Kühbauer stated, We never gave up. It was a victory of passion, a victory of work. We could have made it easier for ourselves with more efficiency.
The win places the Linz club among the final eight teams in the competition.
Next Fixtures in the Uniqa ÖFB-Cup
The round of 16 concludes on Thursday with SC Austria Lustenau hosting Sturm Graz at 18.00 local time (live on ORF1). Earlier midweek fixtures saw SK Rapid, TSV Hartberg, SCR Altach, and second-tier side FC Hertha Wels secure their places in the quarterfinals, which are scheduled to be played between February 9 and 11, 2027. The quarterfinal draw will take place immediately following the Austrian Bundesliga Vienna Derby on Sunday.
Additional Cup Results
Other matches in the round of 16 saw Wacker Innsbruck defeated by WSG Tirol 3:4 on penalties after a 1:1 draw, with goals from Gstrein (16.) and Biancheri (116.) for Wacker and Balic (5.) and Sabitzer (110.) for WSG Tirol. SW Bregenz lost 2:3 to Salzburg, with Omotehara (33.) and Cecchini (59.) scoring for Bregenz, while Konate (2.), Vertessen (43.), and Lainer (56.) netted for Salzburg. In other matches earlier in the week, Austria and Hartberg drew 1:1 before Hartberg won 5:3 on penalties, with Eggestein scoring for Austria in the 26th minute and Lukic in the 42nd minute for Hartberg. Hertha Wels defeated WAC 1:0 with a goal from Sahin in the 4th minute. GAK fell 0:4 to Altach, conceding goals to Massombo (18., 51.), Elongo-Yombo (58.), and Hrstic (69. penalty). Vienna was beaten 0:3 by SK Rapid, with Demir scoring in the 18th minute and Mbuyi adding goals in the 69th and 86th minutes.
