Successful start: LASK advances to the second round of the cup

Head coach Thomas Darazs relied almost entirely on the starting lineup from last week's season opener against St. Pölten for the first competitive match of the season. The only change was Sascha Horvath replacing the injured Florian Flecker in the starting eleven, with Valon Berisha taking on a more offensive role. LASK began energetically and nearly made a perfect start. Moses Usor broke through on the right side and spotted striker Marin Ljubicic, whose header narrowly missed the crossbar.

Since the early lead did not materialize, the subsequent phase turned into the expected game of patience. Gurten tightened the spaces, acted very compactly, and skillfully crowded the center repeatedly. For Linz, with a lot of ball possession, it was essential to stay alert as the Innviertel team waited for quick counter-attacks. After 32 minutes, their patience paid off: Robert Zulj delivered a delicate cross to Valon Berisha, who headed in the first goal of the season, making it 1-0. Before the break, the athletes extended their lead: through Usor, Zulj, and Berisha, the play shifted to the left side, where George Bello scored with a powerful shot to make it 2-0 (43') – the first competitive goal for the American in a LASK jersey.

After the break, LASK continued to dominate, controlling the game and allowing the opponent few dangerous opportunities. Despite the scoreline, Gurten initially changed little in their approach, continuing to attempt quick transitions after winning the ball, which the Linz team mostly managed to prevent with good counter-pressing. Scoring chances were rare during this phase, with Gurten goalkeeper Elias Jagereder only having to intervene against Bello, who was set up by Zulj, after a little over an hour. A few minutes later, Bello repaid the favor to the captain with a cross that Zulj volleyed over the bar.

Towards the end, the hosts tried to increase their offensive efforts, but Linz continued to allow almost nothing. On the other side, Usor was initially denied twice by keeper Jagereder before he headed in a cross from Zulj in the 84th minute to make it 3-0, sealing the final score.

Union Raiffeisen Gurten – LASK 0:3 (0:2)
Klaus-Roitinger-Stadion, 3500, SR Ebner
Goals: 0:1 Berisha (32.), 0:2 Bello (43.), 0:3 Usor (84.)
Yellow Cards: Horner, Wirth; Bogarde, Smolcic

Line-up LASK: Lawal – Bogarde, Ziereis, Smolcic, Bello (89. Lebersorger) – Horvath (85. Safin), Jovicic – Usor (89. Pintor), Zulj (K/89. Copado), Berisha – Ljubicic (81. Tibidi)