Alireza Jahanbakhsh (9th, 41st), David Hancko (31st), Danilo (34th), Santiago Gimenez (66th) and Oussama Idrissi (78th) ensured with their goals that Sturm in the legendary “De Kuip” (the tub) wrecked.
The debacle meant the highest defeat in Graz European Cup history. So far, defeats with a difference of five goals have been the negative records. Because Midtjylland celebrated a surprising 5-1 win over Lazio Rom in the parallel game, Sturm are at the bottom of Group F after two of six games. All four teams are now on three points. Part one of the doubles match against the Romans will take place in Graz on October 6th.
Storm coach Christian Ilzer had promised courage and conviction in advance. And replaced the suspended Stefan Hierländer with the offensive variant Tomi Horvat. William Böving moved back a stage, and instead of the Dane, the manprit Sarkaria, who had been suspended the last time, was to take over the part at the front alongside Emanuel Emegha. It only lasted for a short time.
Early Emegha substitution
First, the favorite presented early in front of almost 34,000 spectators. After a flat free-kick variant, goalie Jörg Siebenhandl speculated with a cross from Jahanbakhsh. The conclusion ended up in the exposed short corner. Bitter from Graz’s point of view: The cheap goal was preceded by a foul whistle worthy of discussion by the French referee Jerome Brisard.
After 15 minutes of an initially wild game, Ilzer was completely served. After the goal and hard yellow cards for the defensive anchors Gregory Wüthrich and Jon Gorenc-Stankovic, Emegha’s working day was over with a supposed shoulder dislocation. The Dutchman, who was trained at Sparta Rotterdam, was doomed by an aerial duel with ÖFB legionnaire Gernot Trauner. Ivan Ljubic came on for Emegha because there was no renowned attacker left on the bench. Albian Ajeti did not get fit in time after a muscle injury from the Klagenfurt game.
The Grazers shook themselves briefly. Böving artistically tried to complete a cross from Jusuf Gazibegovic (20′), just before the half-time whistle Horvat had a half-chance. Otherwise, rolling attacks had to be defended against. But last year’s Conference League finalists, who wanted to make up for the clear opening defeat against Lazio (2: 4), broke through the sides again and again.
Damage limitation doesn’t work either
After 34 minutes it was 0:3. First, after a Fersler one-two and a bit of luck, Hancko defeated Siebenhandl with a shot through the legs. Then Danilo pushed in after a short pass game. Again it went much too fast, again the heel was there, the tub boiled over – even without the fan curve locked out because of misconduct. Almost every shot in this phase was a hit. It was fitting that a deflected Jahanbakhsh attempt over Siebenhandl, who was flying in vain, went into the net to make it 4-0.
Wüthrich and Stankovic, who were warned, stayed in the locker room against Lustenau on Sunday with a view to everyday league play. Your colleagues tried in vain to limit the damage after changing sides. Jahanbaksh’s third goal after a VAR intervention didn’t count (54′) because Böving had been fouled in the process. But substitute Gimenez with a header (66′) and Idrissi with a deflected long-range shot (78′) added the fifth and sixth goals against a defense that had gone three games in a row without conceding a goal.
The fact that storm fans who had traveled with them reported police violence before the game went well with the dark day for black and white.
Source: Nachrichten
