LASK Looks Ahead: "We Mustn't Let Our Heads Hang Down"

With nearly 80% possession, a passing accuracy of 90.4%, 686 completed passes to 171, and 16 shots to 8, the stats after the game against Altach spoke for themselves. Particularly before the break, the Athletes demonstrated significant dominance and created several high-quality chances. "I was very satisfied with the performance we showed in the first half. I’ve never seen the team play like that before," said head coach Thomas Darazs, noting that the first 45 minutes matched his expectations—aside from the conversion rate. "We were completely superior but need to be more effective in the final third," agreed Berisha.

With the equalizer following Robert Žulj's goal - his 25th competitive goal for LASK - Altach turned the game on its head. Another mistake in the second half handed the visitors the winning goal. "We still give away the ball too carelessly at times, and then we need to be sharper and more focused in our defensive transitions. Sometimes, we're too confident. That will be the most important learning," explained Darazs.

After the break, the Athletes couldn't maintain the level of performance from the first half and, despite having a lot of possession, rarely found themselves in dangerous scoring positions. "In the second half, we played around 100 fewer passes and took three, four, or five touches at times. We need to stay patient, make the opponent chase, and continue playing our game," said our head coach. Additionally, the team needs to handle negative moments in a game better. "Mistakes are part of football, and they happen."

Although the disappointment was immense immediately after the final whistle, the Black and Whites are determined not to let their first defeat of the season throw them off track -especially since the first 45 minutes showed many positive signs. "Last year, we saw how difficult it was for us to break down a team that sits deep. The first half showed we've made progress there," said Philipp Ziereis. Teammate Berisha is convinced: "If we keep going like this and believe in ourselves and our style of play, everything will come together." Head coach Darazs added, "The game didn't open our eyes in a new way, but the second half was a sign of what we can improve."

Match report

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