Lustenau break season duck with Verinac’s double at home against Wolfsberger

Promoted SC Austria Lustenau secured their first victory of the Austrian Football Bundesliga season with a 2-1 home win over Wolfsberger AC, a result that delivered the club’s long‑awaited Sieg and sparked jubilant celebrations among the Vorarlberg supporters.

Verinac’s double decides the match

Twenty‑one‑year‑old striker Antonio Verinac opened the scoring in the 23rd minute and doubled his tally twelve minutes later, laying the foundation for Lustenau’s home success. His first goal came from a quick counter‑attack, while the second followed a precise pass from Dominik Weixelbraun and survived a lengthy VAR check before the referee confirmed the goal.

Key moments and tactical changes

Coach Markus Mader introduced four adjustments compared with the two previous fixtures, including starting Verinac as the new centre‑forward. The move paid off immediately, as the German‑Croatian forward, on loan from St. Gallen, proved a gold‑mine on his Bundesliga debut.

Wolfsberger’s early chance came from Dominik Weixelbraun, whose shot was cleared off the line by defender Raffael Behounek in the 22nd minute. Later, a mistake by Cheick Diabate allowed Verinac to finish the rebound, and goalkeeper Lukas Gütlbauer, who had taken over after Nikolas Polster’s departure, could not prevent the second goal.

Late drama and missed opportunities

In stoppage time, Giacomo Vrioni pulled one back for Wolfsberger, netting his fourth season goal in the 45+4 minute, but it was insufficient to change the outcome. The home side also saw near‑misses, with Fabian Gmeiner striking the post and Verinac narrowly missing a third goal in the 65th minute.

Wolfsberger coach Thomas Silberberger responded at halftime with a triple substitution; substitute Philipp Verhounig hit the post shortly after the restart and later missed two clear chances. The match concluded with Lustenau celebrating their first win in five home Bundesliga appearances.

Photographs by STIPLOVSEK captured the cold‑before‑the‑goal moments and the artistic jubilation that followed Verinac’s brace, underscoring the emotional weight of the victory for the newly promoted side.