Football: Austria failed after conceding a goal in the 100th minute at Legia

A goal by Reinhold Ranftl in the 96th minute did not save Austria in extra time because Ernest Muci scored again for Legia in the tenth minute of added time.

After the 2-1 win in Warsaw a week ago, Austria suffered a bitter defeat. After being 0: 3 behind, Andreas Gruber promoted Austria to extra time with a brace (69th, 82nd). However, Legia always went ahead in front of 10,288 spectators with goals from Juergen Elitim (39′), Marc Gual (45′), Tomas Pekhart (58′) and Maciej Rosolek (87′). Austria’s Aleksandar Jukic received the red card completely unnecessarily in the finish after a headbutt on his opponent’s chest (89th).

After exhausting minutes, Michael Wimmer left the field like his protégés. The Austria coach had relied on the tried and tested, leaving captain Manfred Fischer on the bench again. Except for Tin Plavotic, who was injured in Poland, the team from the first leg started. However, Austria again had to put up with an early failure: Marvin Potzmann pinched his thigh after just three minutes, Manuel Polster replaced him on the outside left.

Empty away sector

The guests initially noticed an empty away sector. The Poles, who had marched towards the stadium in a fan march, slowly streamed in just under a quarter of an hour before kick-off. The approximately 1,500 Legia supporters were stopped by the police, and a banner was allegedly objected to.

Wimmer had announced that he did not just want to manage the lead. His team started briskly, but when the Legia fans made themselves heard after half an hour, their team had established an advantage. Austria often got themselves into trouble with mistakes in the game structure. Gruber hinted at the first violet goal threat with a shot wide of the far post (38′), but Poland’s runners-up struck twice in the minutes that followed before the break.

Trap didn’t snap shut

At 0:1, the offside trap didn’t snap shut, the following cross landed in front of Elitim’s feet, who gave Christian Früchtl no chance with a bang from distance. Austria could have given the answer, James Holland hit the crossbar with his head after a corner kick (41st). Instead of 1: 1, it was 0: 2 from Austria’s point of view shortly before the break whistle. Matthias Braunöder allowed the ball to be stolen in midfield, Gual pushed the cross over the line at the far corner.

Personally unchanged, it continued after a change of sides. 13 seconds were played when Früchtl prevented the 0:3 with his fingertips. Austria now threw more forwards, but saw little land against the resolutely acting guests in the duels. The next blow to the neck followed after less than an hour: Legia played a counterattack like out of a picture book, Pekhart completed it.

A jolt went through Violet

Gruber kept Austria alive. The attacker followed suit and completed a one-two with Dominik Fitz under the bar. Violet jumped, Legia didn’t seem invulnerable. With Alexander Schmidt, a real center forward came for Muharem Huskovic. The newcomer was hardly there, Austria cheered again. Fitz found Gruber with a sugar pass, who finished with feeling.

Austria sensed the mountain air, but continued to act defensively and was decisively careless. Substitute Rosolek was able to finish in the center. Despite Jukic’s short-circuit, Austria got up again, Ranftl used a cross pass from Johannes Handl, who had moved up. However, the defensive mistakes added up in the decisive goal. Seconds before the final whistle, Muci let the entire back team get out with a trick after a high ball and Früchtl again had no chance.