Sturm Graz snatch LASK’s first defeat in a Bundesliga‑Schlager

SK Sturm Graz delivered a Bundesliga‑Schlager on Sonntag, beating Doublegewinner LASK 2‑1 at the Graz‑Liebenau stadium and handing the champions their first points loss of the current Bundesliga‑Saison. Goals from Gizo Mamageishvili and debutant Oumar Diakite sealed the win for the Steirer.

Gizo Mamageishvili opened the Tor in the 34th minute, putting the Steirer ahead. The Linzer side equalised shortly after half‑time when Krzystof Danek netted a Gegentor in the 45+3 minute, restoring parity. Debütant Oumar Diakite then restored the lead in the 59th minute, delivering the decisive blow in the sixth Runde.

Line‑up changes and early chances

Nelson Weiper missed the squad on Sunday for reasons of load management, while newcomers Joshua Quarshie and Valmir Matoshi earned places in the starting eleven. LASK coach Dietmar Kühbauer altered only one position from the 0‑1 loss in the Champions League, bringing Krzystof Danek on for Robert Ljubicic. Sasa Kalajdzic began on the bench, ready to replace a defender if needed.

The first serious chance fell to the Oberösterreicher when Kasper Jörgensen delivered a cross that Christoph Lang failed to convert from a good position. Ten minutes later referee Sebastian Gishamer awarded a penalty after a foul by Jürgen Heil on George Bello, but video review showed the offence occurred just outside the box, so the spot‑kick was changed to a free kick. Both sides continued to press, with Der Ball changing possession frequently, keeping the tempo high.

Second‑half drama and table implications

In the second half, a long pass from Arjan Malic found debutant Oumar Diakite, who out‑paced the LASK back line and slipped the ball past Lukas Jungwirth to make it 2‑1. The strike gave the home side the decisive Punch in a match that swung back and forth throughout. The 2‑1 result secured the Sieg for the home side, and as Vizemeister the Steirer remain in fourth place, keeping their challenge alive.

Kühbauer responded by introducing Sasa Kalajdzic, whose close‑range effort in the 64th minute was cleared by Malic before it could find the net. Later, Valmir Matoshi saw his shot saved by Jungwirth, and Otar Kiteishvili’s late penalty sailed over the bar after a foul on Filip Rozga, who had been brought down by Xavier Mbuyamba. Despite the pressure, LASK could not find an equaliser, leaving the point (Punkt) to Sturm.

The victory registers the Erster Punkteverlust for the Meister LASK in the ongoing Bundesliga‑Saison, leaving Sturm Graz level on points with Rapid and still four points shy of the league leaders. The Fu‑football calendar marks the sixth Runde of the season. The match, photographed by APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU, highlights the intensity of the Fußball‑Bundesliga.