LASK Makes Debut in New Conference League Format

For the sixth time in the past seven years, LASK is competing on the international stage. The team has successfully qualified for a European main competition five times—three participations in the UEFA Europa League, and now, for the second time after the 2021/22 season, they are taking on a campaign in the UEFA Conference League. In their debut, LASK topped their group with 16 out of a possible 18 points, finishing ahead of Maccabi Tel Aviv, HJK Helsinki, and FC Alashkert, and advanced to the Round of 16.

The new league format marks uncharted territory for all teams in the European Cup. LASK will face six different opponents, with the top eight teams automatically qualifying for the Round of 16. Teams ranked from ninth to 24th will compete in a play-off for the remaining spots in the Round of 16.

In domestic competitions, LASK has recently been on an upward trend, remaining unbeaten in three consecutive matches with victories over GAK, Sportunion Mauer in the ÖFB Cup, and a draw away against SK Rapid. Djurgårdens IF also recorded a similar result in their final warm-up match in the Allsvenskan on Sunday, drawing against IFK Värnamo, and currently sits second in the league. The Swedish league runs until mid-November, with Djurgården finishing fourth last season under the coaching duo Kim Bergstrand and Thomas Lagerlöf. On their way to their second UEFA Conference League appearance after reaching the Round of 16 in 2023, the Scandinavians defeated Progres Niederkorn, Ilves Tampere, and NK Maribor.

For LASK, this will be the 12th encounter with a Swedish club in international competition. The most recent one was in June 1996 when they defeated Djurgården 2-0 in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, going on to win the group. In their 11 previous matches against Swedish teams, LASK claimed five victories, including in the 1984 UEFA Cup against Östers IF, where two 1-0 wins saw the team advance to the next round for the first time in their European Cup history.

UEFA Conference League, Matchday 1
Thu, 03.10.2024, 9:00 PM
LASK vs Djurgårdens IF
Oberösterreich Arena, Referee: Bulat Sariyev (Kazakhstan)

Unavailable: Lawal, Andrade, Mustapha, Tavares, Ljubic

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