Antwerp has lost for the first time in the group stage of the Europa League. The Great Old was surprised at the Bosuil by the stiff LASK Linz. In group J, 3 teams now count 6 out of 9.
Antwerp – LASK in a nutshell:
- Key moment: Leko sends his men forward in the second half, but shortly before the hour the Antwerpers are on a razor-sharp counter. After Eggestein’s opening goal, LASK opts for a flawless organization, even with one man less.
- Man of the match: We cannot immediately remember a match in which Mbokani does not win a single game. That credit goes all the way to LASK captain Trauner, who played a bear match and kept the Austrian door closed.
- Remarkable: The pink cloud after the stunt victory against Tottenham has completely disappeared. After the loss in the competition against Anderlecht, Antwerp is now also down in the Europa League and has lost its three-point bonus. What’s more: 3 teams now count 6 points in group J.
View the report:
Austrians dominate, but forget to score
After the stunt victory against Tottenham Hotspur, Antwerp started as group leader in the home game against the Austrian LASK. A new victory would bring The Great Old a step closer to the 1 / 16th finals, but the visitors also fully participated in group J after a 4-3 victory against Loedogorets.
In the first half, Antwerp looked nothing like the flashy team that put Tottenham aside last week. The home team was pushed against their own goal from the start, Seck was reluctant to fast attackers such as Balic, Gruber and Raguz. Butez had to distinguish himself on a bang from Gruber, a little later Raguz slipped and he missed the opening goal.
After 35 minutes at a scorching pace, LASK had to slow down. Antwerp was finally able to restore the balance and also got two chances at the end of the first half, but both Verstraete and Gerkens were unable to frame their attempts. The fact that Antwerp took the break with 0-0 could safely be called a success.
Better Antwerp after the break, but one flashy counter is enough for the Austrians
Ivan Leko clearly instilled in his players a bit of an appetite for attack during half-time, because after the break his Antwerp turned out a lot better. The red shirts tried to stay as far as possible from their own goal, but unfortunately they did not have great opportunities for the goal on the other side.
The Antwerp pressure did rise steadily, but that left room in the back for a quick counter. The quick attackers of LASK understood that, because when Haroun had moved high and could not reach a cross from Juklerod, it suddenly went very fast. De Laet was caught in the back by Gruber, who served Eggestein only at the far post. The visiting lead was deserved.
When Holland took his second yellow card in the 67th minute, Antwerp was unexpectedly thrown a lifeline, but The Great Old failed to seize that opportunity. On the contrary, it was the Austrians who easily caught the Antwerp attack waves with a perfect organization and were even the most dangerous on the counter.
In the end, scoring was no longer done on both sides. After the stunt victory against Tottenham, a ten-man but clever LASK puts Antwerp with their feet on the ground again and now counts 6 points in group J, just like Antwerp and Spurs.
LASK counterattacked after half-time: 0-1
Leko: “Don’t think it was an exciting match for the fans”
Gerkens: “The only difference today is that they score and we don’t”
Some reactions
- Pieter Gerkens (Antwerp): “We knew it was going to be very difficult and it was going to be man to man everywhere. The only difference today is that they score and we don’t. We weren’t surprised by the way they played, we just couldn’t win duels in the first half hour. When they fell ten they crawled back and put everything in place for purpose. We lacked quality on the last pass, they continued to play very compact and we did not find the right man for goal. It is a pity that Mbokani misses that opportunity in the slot. We remain in the lead, but will have to score points at LASK to be able to hibernate. ”
- Ivan Leko (coach Antwerp): “The match was exactly as we expected it to be. Two teams with the same system of playing and putting pressure. It may not have been a pleasant match for the supporters with many duels and long balls. They didn’t let us play and we didn’t let them play. Such competitions are always decided by individual qualities or mistakes. I have to congratulate them because they showed what we expected. I find it hard to admit, but they deserve the victory, although I can’t blame my players much. We tried, forced and were able to equalize at the end, but that’s football. Good teams can win from you and we have to do better in the future. We still have a lot to learn at this level. Too bad about the result, but I am proud of my boys. It is nice that we remain in the lead, but we will have to score points in Austria. That match will be super important. ”
Mbokani misses the chance of the equalizer in the added time
