Another Draw for LASK

In the third competitive match of the year, head coach Markus Schopp opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Maximilian Entrup as the striker and Robert Zulj behind him in the number 10 position. New signing Christoph Lang started on the wing, while Melayro Bogarde replaced Ismaila Coulibaly in the starting lineup. The first opportunity fell to the Graz team, with Daniel Maderner firing a well-placed, but slightly inaccurate shot just seconds into the match.

The game then unfolded as expected. GAK defended in a compact block, while LASK dominated possession. However, the Black-and-Whites initially struggled to find the right spaces and create chances. It wasn’t until the 37th minute that Zulj found Entrup with a cross, but the striker’s header went just wide. Three minutes later, LASK goalkeeper Tobias Lawal stretched to save a header from Maderner on the other side.

The second half began once again with a good opportunity for the home side. First, Lawal saved a chip from Maderner, and seconds later, the Linzers had some luck when a deflected shot from Rosenberger hit the post. However, the attacking spirit of the Upper Austrians began to shine through more and more. After a Zulj corner, a header from Smolcic went too centrally (62'). Around ten minutes later, substitute Samuel Adeniran had his first attempt against well-reacting goalkeeper Florian Wiegele, and George Bello’s follow-up was denied by the post.

In an overall lively second half, it seemed that LASK, with new signings Krystof Danek and Emmanuel Michael making their league debuts in the final phase, was closer to scoring. However, the team often wasted promising opportunities with inaccurate final passes. In the closing moments, Entrup had two more good chances, but the desired winning goal never came. The same was true for the Steirers, as Dominik Frieser was denied by Lawal. In the end, it was another draw for the Linzers.

GAK – LASK 0:0
Merkur Arena, Referee Jäger
Yellow cards: Tikvic, Jovicic, Kleinheisler, Jano; Bogarde, Ljubic, Adeniran

Line-up LASK: Lawal – Jovicic, Ziereis (C), Smolcic, Bello (86’ Michael) – Bogarde (59’ Berisha), Ljubic – Lang (59’ Adeniran), Zulj (66’ Danek), Horvath – Entrup