“The playful and individual qualities of Liefering are undisputed,” said Forwards coach Daniel Madlener after his red-whites went off the field 2-1 winners in the home game against the Young Bulls from Salzburg, “but we showed that we can more than keep up with dedication and will.”
Even before kick-off, just looking at the raw numbers illustrated the stark difference between the two teams. Roko Simic, the 18-year-old Croatian star of the RB elite forge, which costs around 16.5 million euros, who became the top marksman with seven goals on the way to the Youth League final, is more valuable with a market value of 3.5 million euros than the entire forward squad. According to transfermarkt.at, there is already a total of 2.91 million euros.
But back to what’s happening on the pitch: Christopher Kröhn and Joel Dombaxi, who hit the crossbar, made it clear in the opening minutes that the Steyr team were determined to give their fans their fifth home win in a row. And while some VIP Club visitors were only on their way to their seats, Liefering’s goal rang for the first time: Juli Turi scored with a header after a corner from Luca Mayr-Fälten (13′). Kröhn completed the double strike to make it 2-0 just a minute later with a powerful shot.
Liefering had more play after the change, but more than Simic’s goal – the Croatian had previously hit the post – didn’t look out of it. Even this goal – the ball fell rather accidentally in front of the attacker’s legs after a press ball – required the help of a Steyrer.
“It’s great the means we use to achieve these performances week after week,” enthused Madlener, who already wants to develop the red-whites with a view to the coming season: “We will and want to take our next step and play an important role in play in the league.” The team only needs to be strengthened selectively. “There are a lot of players who want to be part of that journey.”
Source: Nachrichten
