Austria Lustenau’s VAR penalty snatches point from Sturm Graz

A VAR-awarded penalty by Seedy Jatta secured a point for Aufsteiger Austria Lustenau against Sturm Graz, ending the visitors’ early deficit and denying the home side a temporary rise to the top of the Austrian Football Bundesliga.

Key moments in Graz

Aufsteiger Austria Lustenau opened the scoring with a Führungstor in the 10th minute, when Dominik Weixelbraun headed Danilo Soares’ cross past Die Grazer defence. Nach dem Rückstand, the early Führung gave the Vorarlberger side a 1‑0 lead and marked his second league Tor of the season. Sturm’s comeback arrived via a VAR-Elfmeter in the 65th minute, awarded after a clash between Lustenau goalkeeper Domenik Schierl and Seedy Jatta. Jatta, delayed but composed, slotted the Ball into the right corner from the Elfmeter to secure the Ausgleich and the Punkt for the visitors.

Sturm’s coach Fabio Ingolitsch altered his Angriffspaar, starting Seedy Jatta and Szymon Wlodarczyk in place of Axel Kayombo and Nelson Weiper, while the new Zweiergoalie Ammar Helac made his debut after Daniil Chudjakow’s injury. Later, Lustenau keeper Domenik Schierl received a Rote Karte in the 98th minute following a video review, leaving his side with ten men. The match, played zu Hause at Graz‑Liebenau on Samstag, attracted 14 512 spectators and saw SC Austria Lustenau coach Markus Mader retain the same Startelf as the previous week’s 2‑1 win over WAC.

Implications for the table

According to SCHERIAU, the point denied Sturm the Sprung to the Tabellenspitze and the temporary Tabellenführung of the Fußball‑Bundesliga, keeping the Vizemeister one point behind the leaders Rapid and LASK. Sturm remained unbeaten at home, extending their run to eleven consecutive league matches, but now sit a point behind the top duo. Der Vizemeister had previously lost all nine mandatory matches at Sturm, making this the first Punktgewinn for the Vorarlberger side against them after 22 encounters.

Ein Punkt and the Ergebnis gave Austria Lustenau their first Auswärtspunkt of the season, moving them to the fifth position in the Liga and ending a nine‑match Durststrecke in Graz at the Ende of the match. It also marked the second such success since 1997 for the Vorarlberger club. Next Sunday the Grazer will travel to face the current leader Rapid, the third‑placed team in the table. The win secures Lustenau’s first away point of the campaign and keeps Sturm’s home unbeaten streak alive.