Cup Clash for Advancement to the Round of 16

With their victory over GAK on Sunday, the Linzers took an important step in the right direction. This success, along with their impressive goal tally, should give the Schwarz-Weißen a boost for the upcoming challenges. Before the next international break, they have two busy weeks ahead: following the cup match against Mauer, they will face Rapid and Klagenfurt in the Bundesliga, as well as Djurgårdens IF in the UEFA Conference League.

However, the focus now is on continuing the performance from the weekend in the ÖFB Cup and becoming the ninth Bundesliga team to advance to the Round of 16. This will require another highly concentrated effort in their first encounter with the Regionalliga Ost representative. The club from the 23rd district of Vienna, which celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, triumphed in the first round against SPG ASK/HSV Klagenfurt with a score of 14-0. Last season, the cup debutant secured the championship title in the Wiener Stadtliga with 78 points, but this year, under coach Hannes Friesenbichler, the team currently sits in eleventh place after seven rounds.

The match against the Viennese was originally scheduled for last week, but heavy rainfall necessitated a postponement. For LASK, this will be their second cup match of the season; they previously defeated another Regionalliga team, Union Gurten, 3-0, thanks to goals from Valon Berisha, George Bello, and Moses Usor.

Recently, LASK has advanced beyond the second round ten times in a row. They reached the Round of 16 seven times in regular time, once in extra time, and twice via penalty shootouts. In the last six years, the Linzers have progressed to at least the quarterfinals, making it to the semifinals three times and once to the final. Nine of their last eleven cup appearances have been played away from home, with the Upper Austrians winning seven of those matches.

UNIQA ÖFB Cup, Round 2
Tuesday, September 24, 2024, 6:00 PM
Sportunion Mauer vs. LASK
Waldstadion Himberg, Ref Sampl

Unavailable: Lawal, Ljubic, Flecker, Pintor, Andrade