LASK reaches the semifinals after a cup thriller

Head coach Markus Schopp sent his team into their first competitive match of the year in the 4-2-2-2 system introduced during winter preparations. The starting lineup featured new signings Samuel Adeniran, who partnered with Maximilian Entrup in attack, and Ismaila Coulibaly. Ivan Ljubic made his first competitive appearance for the Black and Whites since February 2024. Florian Flecker and Adil Taoui were sidelined due to illness, while a mild inflammation in the back of the knee prevented Robert Zulj from playing.

The first half remained largely uneventful. Salzburg dominated possession but struggled to create dangerous chances. Linz occasionally found good solutions in their buildup play against the visitors' pressing but rarely managed to break into the opponent's penalty area. With the first shot on goal of the game, Salzburg took the lead: A blocked Kawamura attempt rebounded to Oscar Gloukh, who fired in with a quick turn (32’).

The Athletiker started the second half with more energy and courage, which led to their best opportunity of the game after 54 minutes. Adeniran powered through on the left side and spotted Enis Safin arriving in the middle, but both his initial shot and follow-up were blocked. Thirteen minutes later, Entrup curled a shot just wide of the far post from a good position.

By this point, head coach Schopp had already made a double substitution, bringing on Valon Berisha and Melayro Bogarde. However, it was the striking power of Branko Jovicic that delivered the much-needed equalizer. Suddenly finding plenty of space, the new right-back took matters into his own hands and hammered the ball past Salzburg goalkeeper Alexander Schlager into the top corner (71’)!

From that point on, the match developed into a true cup fight, with both teams giving it their all to secure a spot in the semifinals. In the final stages, Salzburg had two good chances through a Bidstrup shot, which Tobias Lawal expertly saved, and a chance for Oscar Gloukh. After more than 95 minutes, the first extra time in the history of the Raiffeisen Arena was confirmed.

During extra time, Lawal showcased his class with a brilliant save against Adam Daghim, while Adeniran narrowly missed the target with a header at the other end. But in the 110th minute, the American striker sparked wild celebrations from the black-and-white fans: a cross from substitute Marco Sulzner found the towering Adeniran in the middle, who headed the ball into the net to make it 2-1! The goal injected even more energy into the team, and with a determined performance, LASK held onto the lead and secured their spot in the cup semifinals for the 15th time.

LASK – RB Salzburg 2:1 (1:1, 0:1)
Raiffeisen Arena, 12,310 spectators, Referee: Lechner
Goals: 0:1 Gloukh (32'), 1:1 Jovicic (71'), 2:1 Adeniran (109')
Yellow cards: Horvath, Berisha, Adeniran; Yeo, Terzic

LASK lineup: Lawal – Jovicic, Ziereis (C), Smolcic, Bello – Coulibaly (64' Bogarde), Ljubic (85' Sulzner) – Safin (64' Berisha), Horvath – Entrup, Adeniran