"He can tick that off"

Hedl blunder! “Better now than in the cup final”

Robert Klauß comforted his goalie directly after the game.

(Bild: Sepp Pail)

Curious blackout by Rapids goalkeeper Niklas Hedl sealed Vienna's first defeat in 2024 - 0:1 in Graz. "Better now than later in the cup final," said coach Robert Klauß, taking the disappointment in his stride. "Niki is so solid as a player that he can put that behind him."

The Rapids fans chanted his name, all the players immediately approached Niklas Hedl and coach Klauß immediately embraced his goalkeeper after the final whistle. Everyone suffered with the 23-year-old. He had played a strong game in front of team boss Ralf Rangnick for a long time in the sold-out Graz stadium. But then came the 79th minute, a crazy blackout: Hedl tried to pick up a harmless ball as he fell, but hit the ball on his knee and Sturm's joker Biereth could hardly believe his luck, slotting the "gift" into the empty goal - 1:0 (79').

It was the golden shot, the decider! "Bitter for him, bitter for us. It really hurts - but that's soccer," said Rapids captain Hofmann. "But we don't blame him. Mistakes are part of the game. He's saved us so many games."

Reaching into the bag of tricks
Whereby a clean sheet yesterday, a point, would have been the highest of feelings for Green-White. Because Rapid took no risks with Burgstaller and Kongolo at the start of the weeks of decision. Ten absentees had to be compensated, four of the "one-man squad" were missing - so Klauß reached deep into his bag of tricks and surprised everyone: Kasanwirjo moved into central defense for the first time for Green-White, Seydi celebrated his starting eleven debut, Grüll was the solo leader. Use "switches" with speed - that was Rapid's motto ...

In the end it was a game of chess. Rapid waited on the halfway line - and did so well. The emergency defense also defended almost everything away. Graz were only dangerous from set-pieces and a Jatta chance, which Hedl and then Hofmann thwarted just before the line. "We didn't concede anything from the game," Klauß summed up. "It was a classic 0:0." Because, apart from Mayulu's chance in stoppage time, Rapid never even knocked on the door. They were too hectic and inaccurate - but thanks to their good defense, a point would not have been undeserved.

But then Hedl made a mistake. "Better now than later in the cup final," Klauß took it in his stride despite the disappointment. "Niki is so solid as a player that he can put that behind him."

The teams will meet again on Wednesday in Vienna - league part 2 of the trilogy with the Cup climax on May 1 in Klagenfurt. However, the 1-0 loss snapped Rapids' streak and was their first defeat in their twelfth match in 2024. Third place could be a long way off. While Sturm's fans chanted "We will be champions". Until Sunday as league leaders.