Sturm extended the league lead with a home win over Hartberg

The runner-up, who was still unbeaten after eleven rounds, is now four points ahead of the series champion. Hartberg had to admit defeat again after five games without defeat, the East Styrians are still fourth before the Sunday games. The Sturm loanee Christoph Lang (4th) brought Hartberg forward in the first few minutes. However, Seedy Jatta (13′) equalized with his first goal in the Bundesliga, before Alexander Prass (42′) managed the final turnaround for Christian Ilzer’s team shortly before half-time. Sturm continues in the Europa League on Thursday. In the third group game, the top Italian club Atalanta Bergamo will be in Graz.

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Hartberg came to the Merkur Arena, which was filled with 15,500 spectators, on an unprecedented high. The club had never experienced a better start to a Bundesliga season in its history. Ilzer was warned against an “absolutely top game”. The “Blackys” coach wanted to make changes on his 46th birthday. In midfield, Dimitri Lavalee formed a double six with Jon Gorenc Stankovic, while Jatta was preferred in attack over Szymon Wlodarczyk. For the 20-year-old Norwegian, it was his first appearance in the league since the start. William Böving was missing, the Dane is threatening to miss Thursday too with pubic bone inflammation.

Markus Schopp also changed. In the absence of Maximilian Entrup, who is still injured, Dominik Frieser and Lang should provide accents in Hartberg’s double attack. A move that quickly worked. In the guests’ first dangerous action, Frieser found the completely unchallenged Lang in the center, who was technically strong. In a lively first quarter of an hour from both sides, Sturm did not let this unsettle him and rewarded himself with the equalizer. Jatta beat Jürgen Heil in a tight space and beat Raphael Sallinger with a shot that was slightly deflected by Ousmane Diakite.

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The game on the Graz lawn, which had been completely renovated in recent weeks, then subsided; Sturm had more of the game, but there were no big scenes in the penalty area. Shortly before the half-time whistle, the home team managed to make it 2-1 with the help of their opponents. With a failed attempt to clear the ball, Diakite sent the ball straight into the path of Prass, who had no problems.

With Hartberg, Donis Avdijaj stayed in the dressing room, Ruben Providence took over for the offensive man who was no longer fully fit. The Schopp team was much more present against the waiting Graz team, but after an hour Sturm picked up speed again. After preparatory work by the two team players Sarkaria and Prass, Otar Kiteishvili was denied by Sallinger, who shortly afterwards also parried a Sarkaria hammer. Hartberg’s goalkeeper was already beaten once, but Sarkaria only hit the bar (69th). Sturm was now significantly closer to a third goal than Hartberg was to equalizing. Things were no longer really dangerous for the league leaders.

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