Point salvaged with late comeback in big match

In partnership with

FC Red Bull Salzburg

·28 April 2024

Point salvaged with late comeback in big match

2-2 draw at home to Sturm Graz

There were no winners of the big match in the 29th ADMIRAL Bundesliga Matchday. Sturm Graz scored two goals in a horrible first-half from our perspective, before we raced back to level with a plucky showing in the second period. As it is, Graz maintain their three-point advantage in the title race with three matches of the season remaining.

Match summary

The big match could not have possibly gotten off to a worse start! Less than a minute was on the clock when the visitors caught us cold. A Prass shot from the edge of the box took a deflection to beat Alex Schlager and send Sturm Graz in front.

OneFootball Videos

We almost provided the perfect response with a Konate header (3'), but we didn't have the same clinical touch as the visitors.

It was every bit the expected big match, with the first period being a hard-fought battle right from the start, with both sides getting chances.

We thought we had equalised on the half-hour mark, only for Karim Konate's strike to be ruled out as VAR confirmed the ball struck the Ivorian's hand before finding the net. As if that wasn't enough - we conceded a second at our end.

Gazibegovic found the going too easy on the right and cut the ball into the middle, where Prass was all alone and able to turn it in for 2-0 (34'). We were left in shock and almost fell 0-3 down, with Alex Schlager thankfully saving us in a one-on-one battle (37').

We had given our all throughout the first period. The way the game went sapped confidence from us, however, and we did not have the luck we needed.

Onur Cinel reacted at the start of the second half, and we went on the front foot. With less than 30 minutes remaining on the clock, some further substitutions were made that soon paid off. Oscar Gloukh danced his way through the left and teed up substitute Dorgeles Nene to tap in and make it 1-2 and put us right back into the game!

The goal boosted everyone at the Red Bull Arena! Sturm Graz were suddenly on the ropes as we surged forward and penned Christian Ilzer's men back around their own box.

We broke through the Graz defence once more with eight minutes remaining on the clock, with Karim Konate pouncing on a loose ball after a Koita shot was deflected to smash the ball in. Our stadium was rocking!

Boosted by the electric atmosphere, we attacked with all our might and thought we were celebrating a winner. Samson Baidoo headed the ball into the net but was standing offside, and we had a second goal of the afternoon ruled out.

We therefore had to be content with a 2-2 draw that leaves us second in the table but still very much in the title race. Should we finish level on points with Sturm Graz, we would go ahead of them due to our better head-to-head record.

Views

It was an extremely annoying start to such a big match - that can't happen, and we know that. It's only human that it takes a while to get over that, but it took too long. We didn't have the power and intensity we needed in the first half, but we did in the second. We had three times as many shots on goal as the opponents and had the chance to make it 3-2. We have to perform in the final three matches of the season as we did in the second half. The boys wanted to do that from the start today, but conceding so early knocked us back, of course. The second half made me a bit proud. That is the kind of football we want to see and what makes us succeed.

Onur Cinel

To come back to 2-2 after going 0-2 down definitely gives us energy to attack the final few matches. We were determined to win at home today - that was our big aim, so I am disappointed, but there is no way we are giving up. It's not in our own hands anymore, but we will do everything we can to get all the points we still can. It's not nice to start a big match in that way. I am very proud of the way we battled back in the second half and showed an incredible reaction, which we owed the fans. It's a disappointment, but we can look ahead positively.

Alex Schlager

Line-up

Substitutions

Koita for Ratkov (46'), Guindo for Daniliuc, Nene for Diambou (66'), Simic for Konate (87')

Yellow card

Sucic (82' unsporting behaviour)

Injury news

Not available for this match were Nicolas Capaldo (knee), Amar Dedic (calf), Fernando (thigh), Maurits Kjaergaard (thigh) and Leandro Morgalla (recovering). Strahinja Pavlovic was suspended.