European Cup play-off

Wolfsberger AC against Austria Vienna, LIVE from 7pm

Vienna Austria can celebrate.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Wiener Austria won the European Cup play-off match against WAC 2:1 away from home on Tuesday and will now face Hartberg. A curious last-minute goal from Dominik Fitz (94') decided the game in favor of the visitors, who had already led 1-0 at the break thanks to Matteo Meisl (8').

The season is now over for the WAC, who equalized through Augustine Boakye (64'). Coach Manfred Schmid was on the sidelines for the last time; he recently agreed to terminate his contract and will be replaced by Dietmar Kühbauer in the summer.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Austria interim coach Christian Wegleitner, on the other hand, will get two more games. He only made one change compared to the recent 2:1 win at BW Linz. Luca Pazourek replaced Reinhold Ranftl, who had fallen ill at short notice, on the right side of midfield. For WAC, Lukas Ibertsberger and Nikolas Veratschnig moved into the starting eleven.

Early lead through Meisl
Austria, so eager for the European Cup, started the game much better and crowned their start with an early 1:0. After a sensitive corner from Dominik Fitz, Meisl won an aerial duel with Ervin Omic at the five-man box and headed in. Violett continued to make an effort, but further top chances remained scarce despite more possession.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

WAC also failed to create more than a handful of semi-threatening attacking moves before the break - particularly through Thierno Ballo, who is in the Austrian national team's European Championship squad. The best chance resulted from a defensive slip-up by the Violets, but Maximilian Scharfetter was unable to capitalize on it. The 21-year-old failed to beat Austria goalkeeper Christian Früchtl (31'), who was almost embarrassed moments later by Adis Jasic's thunderous shot from over 30 meters (32').

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

The first half ended with a double chance for Austria striker Fisnik Asllani, first goalkeeper Lukas Gütlbauer and then the outside of the net prevented the 2:0 (42'). The visitors continued to dominate after the restart, with Alexander Schmidt testing Gütlbauer from 17 meters (53') and a volley from substitute Andreas Gruber missing the far corner (61').

Equalizer out of nowhere
The equalizer came more or less out of nowhere, with the lone "joker" Boakye's attempt from 17 metres after receiving the ball quickly being too precise for Früchtl. A short time later, Ballo narrowly missed the goal with a header and thus the double strike (67').

Lukas Gütlbauer looked extremely unlucky with the Austria winning goal.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Austria kept the pressure on and were already celebrating the 2:1, but the goal by Asllani after a mistake by Cheick Diabate was taken back by the VAR for offside (74'). However, the Viennese were rewarded in the final stages. Gütlbauer slipped on the rain-soaked turf during an Austria counter-attack, Fitz saw it and took precise measure from half-field. The goalkeeper rushed back and threw himself after the ball for nothing.

Wolfsberger AC - Austria Vienna 1:2 (0:1)
Wolfsberg, Lavanttal Arena, SR Ebner

Goals: 0:1 (8.) Meisl, 1:1 (64.) Boakye, 1:2 (94.) Fitz

WAC: Gütlbauer - Baumgartner, Omic, Piesinger (62. Diabate) - Ibertsberger, Altunashvili (62. Sabitzer), Jasic, Müller - Ballo - Scharfetter (46. Boakye), Veratschnig (84. Morgenstern)

Austria: Früchtl - Handl, Plavotic (46. Martins), Meisl - Pazourek (77. Holland), Fischer, Potzmann, Krätzig (57. Guenouche) - Fitz - Asllani, Schmidt (57. Gruber)

Yellow cards: Omic, Veratschnig or Fischer, Potzmann, Asllani