With a narrow away win in Sweden, Rapid has won a good starting position for moving into the Conference League semi-final. In a balanced quarter-final first leg against Djurgårdens IF in front of 23,531 spectators in Stockholm, the Hütteldorfer happily prevailed 1-0 (0-0), whereby the team of coach Robert Klauss goes back to the return leg next Thursday (9 p.m., Canal+) in Vienna.
In the first European Cup quarter-finals with red-white-red participation in seven years, an own goal of Hampus Finndell (62nd) decided. European Cup expert Louis Schaub had forced the goal with a Stanglpass. If the Swedish hurdle is skipped, there would be a high probability of a duel with the English top club FC Chelsea. The Londoners kept the upper hand at Legia Warsaw 3-0.
Klauss changed his starting XI compared to the 0: 2 away defeat against Sturm to two positions: Captain Matthias Seidl first had to go to the bench, but Louis Schaub was allowed to play from the start. Winter newcomer Romeo Amana celebrated his starting debut in the central midfield instead of the blocked Mamadou Sangaré.
Goal scorer Guido Burgstaller was the first since December 14, 2024, when the 35-year-old Carinthian had suffered a skull base break in a assault in front of a club, in the squad. In the 85th minute, Burgstaller celebrated his comeback in professional football, equipped with a “special stirring band” to protect the head balls and collapse.
1700 green and white fans who traveled with us cheered
Two top performers were missing from the Swedes, more regular players had to be injured or watched without a European Cup game authorization. That is why Djurgården competed with a newly thrown eleven, which was hardly noticeable.
On the contrary, on the fast artificial turf in the Stockholm Arena, in which 1,700 rapid fans traveled loudly, the hosts found much better into the game. A steel head (6th) and a Fallenius shot (8th) did not bring Rapid goalkeeper Niklas Hedl in trouble, with a supposed back pass from Moritz Oswald, the Hütteldorfer were lucky that there was no indirect free kick (14th).
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Image: APA
Source: Nachrichten
