Joy over opening win: "That was very important!"

“First game, first win – that was very important,” rejoiced new signing Melayro Bogarde, who not only played the full 90 minutes as the right-back, just as he did in the ÖFB Cup match against Gurten, but also scored his debut goal for the team.

Philipp Ziereis was responsible for the lead – his fifth competitive goal for LASK, after his previous supposed match-winning goal in the last encounter in Hartberg had been ruled an own goal. “What matters is that it went in and we got the three points; that’s the most important thing,” said the defender, who, after the unexpected absence of new signing Hrvoje Smolcic, formed the center-back pairing with Filip Stojkovic.

The statistics at the end also showed advantages for LASK. With nearly 60 percent possession, 11-9 shots on goal, a pass accuracy of 83.4 percent (Hartberg: 79.2), a passing accuracy in the attacking third of 67 percent (61.8), 512 passes (compared to Hartberg's 337), and a tackle success rate of 62.1 percent, LASK’s overall superiority was evident, although there was a moment of tension following Hartberg's quick equalizer.

“We knew it wouldn’t be easy here. The last 20 minutes weren’t the best football we’ve ever played. But in the end, it was important that we had a good start, and we achieved that, so we’re satisfied today,” analyzed Ziereis, who made his 75th competitive appearance for the Upper Austrians and, along with his defensive colleagues, managed to keep the opponent away from the goal for most of the match. Only a quarter-hour before the end did goalkeeper Tobias Lawal have to make a notable save – the keeper was ultimately voted Man of the Match by LASK fans, ahead of Ziereis.

With the victory, LASK was able to continue their strong opening record from recent years. In seven of the eight first-round matches since their promotion in 2017, and in the last six in a row, the Upper Austrians have remained unbeaten, with five of those matches ending in wins. Overall, the Linzers now have 17 full victories in 34 opening games in the top flight. Their Bundesliga record against Hartberg was also further improved with this win, now standing at six wins, eight draws, and five losses. LASK has managed to take points from the East Styrians in five consecutive away encounters.

Next Saturday (17:00), the season opener will take place at their home Raiffeisen Arena against SCR Altach. “I’m really looking forward to my first game at our stadium,” said Bogarde, hoping for a full house against the Vorarlberg team.

Match report

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