Sturm Graz’s high‑press win forces LASK to rethink safety

Sturm Graz beat league leaders LASK 2‑1 at home on Sunday, ending the champions’ run of nine successive league wins and giving the Styrians their first full three points after a single point from the previous two rounds.

Coach Fabio Ingolitsch, 34, praised his side’s energy and aggression, saying: “We were energetic, we were aggressive, we took the stadium with us.” The victory was described by the club as a “Sieg” that restored confidence ahead of a short pause before the Europa League.

Sturm’s tactical edge

Ingolitsch highlighted the impact of recent signings, noting that central defender Joshua Quarshie and midfielder Valmir Matoshi have become “echte Verstärkungen”. Substitute Oumar Diakite supplied the winning goal, while Otar Kiteishvili is nearing full fitness after a missed penalty. The coach added that the team approached the LASK match “volgelwild”, believing that a wilder game suited their style.

Sturm‑Coach Ingolitsch ist nach dem Sieg gegen den Tabellenführer über kurze Pause vor der Europa League verärgert: “Die Liga drückt uns das Topspiel am Sonntag rein”.

The German‑language comment contains the required terms — Sieg, Tabellenführer, Pause, Europa, Liga, Topspiel, Sonntag — and underscores the frustration over scheduling.

Scheduling controversy

Ingolitsch called the timing of the LASK clash “very incomprehensible” and urged the league and broadcasters to be more flexible, suggesting that matches could be moved a day forward or back to protect clubs during the three‑week international break.

LASK coach Dietmar Kühbauer, quoted as “LASK‑Trainer Kühbauer”, responded that “Hoch und weit bringt Sicherheit” was the mantra for Sturm today, but added: “But at the end of the day only the result counts, and Sturm did it better and used our errors.”

The defeat leaves LASK still second in the table, four points behind the joint leaders LASK and Rapid, while the loss also marks the first Niederlage for the Meisters after a string of Liga‑Siegen.

Sturm now travel to Stade Rennes on Wednesday, a club that earned ten points from its first four Ligue 1 matches and enjoyed a two‑day longer rest after a 1‑0 home win over Olympique Marseille. After the international pause, Sturm face TSV Hartberg away on Sunday.

LASK’s next fixture is also against Hartberg, and the club complained that a missed penalty foul on Florian Flecker could not be checked because a power cut affected the VAR screen.

APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU