The players of Slovan Bratislava lost in Thursday’s playoff duel for the round of 16 of the European Conference League (EKL) at Sturm Graz 1:4.
Športweb, TASR 15.02.2024 20:39 , updated: 21:15
Photo: Jakub Kotian
David Strelec (Slovak) fights against the defenders of Graz.
Gerson Rodrigues scored the guests’ only goal in the 8th minute, when he equalized at 1:1. In addition, the guests played at a numerical disadvantage from the 78th minute after substitute Vladimír Weiss was sent off.
They will fight for the second round of 16 in the European competition in the era of independence at Tehelno polí on Thursday, February 22.
Slovan went into the match with a team weakened by injuries and card penalties. The most notable absences were goalkeeper Milan Borjan and defenders Cesar Blackman and Kevin Wimmer.
He conceded two of the four goals, including the winner, after fouls. Rodrigues, who joined the club in the winter, has so far scored in both games for the Slovak club.
Weiss’s red card was the second in a row for Slovan on the European stage – Borjan was sent off in December against Olimpija Ljubljana (1:2).
play off for the EKL round of 16 – summary:
Sturm Graz – ŠK SLOVAN BRATISLAVA 4:1 (2:1)
Goals: 4. Biereth, 27. Stankovič, 64. Kiteishvili (from 11 m), 90.+1. Camara – 8. Rodrigues. Judges: Al-Hakim – Klyver, Wilde (all Swedes). ŽK: Gazibegovič – Zmrhal, Rodrigues. ČK: 78. Weiss (Slavic)
Graz: Jaroš – Gazibegović (83. Johnston), Affengruber, Wüthrich, Prass (83. Camara) – Stankovič, Lavalée – Kiteišvili (83. Hierländer), Horvat, Sarkaria (59. Böving) – Biereth (71. Wlodarczyk)
Slav: Trnovský – Pauschek, Kašia, Bajrič, Zmrhal – Kankava, Savvidis, Kucka – Barsejjan (68. Weiss), Rodrigues, Strelec (80. Tolič)
The first shot on goal was sent by Rodrigues for the guests. However, Graz quickly settled in the opponent’s half and in the 4th minute was already in the lead.
Biereth received the ball behind the defense from Horvat and beat Trnovský with a ground shot to the near post. Slovan reacted with immediate offensive activity, which was converted into a goal by Rodrigues.
In the eighth minute, he received a long ball for defense from Zmrhal, went around the home goalkeeper Jaroš and finished into an empty net. Both accurate hits were checked for possible offside by the VAR system.
In the 17th minute, Strelec got into a similar situation as Rodrigues, but he combined his escape and was later waved offside. Subsequently, the home team started with an onslaught, which Slovan was able to withstand.
Read more We watched the first EKL playoff match between Sturm Graz and Slovan Bratislava ONLINE
However, he paid for a foul by Kuck, after which the home side got a standard penalty. It was played by Sarkaria on the edge of the small goal area, in motion he sent it directly in front of the Affengruber goal and captain Stankovič finished with a header under the crossbar.
Immediately after the play-off, Graz took the ball and tried it on Trnovského from a distance, the Slovak goalkeeper claimed the first save of the match.
After a while, visiting Zmrhal also threatened from outside the penalty area, and Prass again for the home team. However, this lacked precision. In added time, the Whites had another offensive episode, Barsejgan ended it with a shot wide.
Moments after the break, the home side were in front of the opponent’s goal again, Trnovský dealt with Sarkari’s shot from an angle.
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Shortly before the end of the hour, the home goalkeeper Jaroš hesitated in the center, but Slovan did not get to the end.
Moments later, the guests paid for a foul again, this time Barsejjan fouled in the corner and Kiteišvili then converted the penalty. He sent the ball to the opposite side as Trnovský expected.
Graz subsequently increased the pressure, referee Al-Hakim initially awarded Weiss a yellow card for a foul, but after consulting the VAR system, he changed his verdict.
Slovan managed only one attack in the rest of the match, the hosts used their numerical superiority. Trnovský still flashed twice, but in the build-up he was beaten from the edge of the penalty area by substitute Camara.
Voices after the meeting /source: RTVS/:
Vladimír Weiss senior, coach of Slovan: “We played excellently in the first half, we had more scoring chances than the home team. We did not manage the second half. We played well until 1:3, what happened after that I take it upon myself. I shouldn’t have sent Vlad to the lawn at all. The slip on his part was useless. We had perhaps our best performance away from home offensively before the break. The result is also due to my bad decisions. It’s a shame, a better result could have been achieved here. Miracles sometimes happen, but our staff is small. We’ll see what happens in retaliation.” Christian Ilzer, coach of Graz: “Of course, my team made me very happy, even though there were situations that we should have handled differently. The second half was excellent, but the opponent also showed good quality and players. We can’t rest on our laurels and we have to be careful in the next match as well.”
Juraj Kucka, captain of Slovan: “We tried, but the opponent had more of the game. The opponent kicked the penalty and after the red card it was just the end of the game. The players are missing, but you can’t argue about that. Others must step in and replace them. The opponent flew at us, we couldn’t fully get into the game. We did well in certain parts, but there were also dull moments. At home we have to give a completely different performance and try for a miracle. We have to play for everything. I believe that the home team will push us forward and we will not give up so easily.”
Jaromír Zmrhal, Slovan player: “It hurts. We wanted to play an acceptable result, which we did not succeed. We are sorry, nothing can be done about it and we have to move on. We have to prepare well and show at home in front of our own fans that we have what it takes.” Kenan Bajrič, Slovan player: “We played well in the first half, we were able to defend them and we had chances. We were unlucky in the second and also with the last goal. First came the unfortunate penalty, we talked and told each other that two goals wasn’t so bad. But then the red card came and we went down mentally. It’s not good, we have a difficult match behind us, but there’s nothing we can do.”
Other matches were also played. The players of Eintracht Frankfurt drew 2:2 in the opening match of the playoff for the round of 16 of the European Conference League at the Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. The German team, which won the Europa League two years ago, lost a two-goal lead.
The Norwegian representative Molde FK beat Legia Warsaw 3:2 thanks to two accurate strikes by Fredrik Gulbrandsen. Ferencváros Budapest strummed the nerves of Olympiakos Piraeus, only in the 83rd minute they decided on the narrow victory of the Greek team El Kaabi.
Olympiakos Piraeus – Ferencváros Budapest 1:0 (0:0)
Goal: 83. El Kaabi. Referee: Nyberg (Sweden)
Molde FK – Legia Warsaw 3:2 (3:0)
Goals: 12. and 19. Gulbrandsen, 24. Kaasa – 64. Josue, 71. Augustyniak. Referee: Jorgji (Alb.)
Royale Union Saint-Gilloise – Eintracht Frankfurt 2:2 (1:2)
Goals: 31. Rasmussen, 68. Nilsson – 3. Chaibi, 10. Kalajdžič, ČK: 78. Vanhoutte (Saint-Gilloise). Referee: Pawson (Eng.)
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2024-02-15 19:39:00
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