6 games, 3 goals

Rapid’s Beljo “certainly still has a lot of room for improvement”

Good start rate at Rapid, but he's not satisfied yet: Dion Beljo (left).

(Bild: GEPA)

Six games, three goals: Dion Beljo got off to a perfect start at Rapid. The Croatian can look forward to a premiere against Trabzonspor on Thursday.

"I understand everything in German, but I still find it difficult to speak. So let's speak English instead." New signing Dion Beljo, who has scored three goals in his first six matches for Rapid, says with a grin. "A good rate, but it could be better if I only think of my two shots on target in Klagenfurt." The 22-year-old feels very comfortable in Vienna: "Whether team, coach or fans - everyone accepted me straight away!"

(Bild: GEPA)

He also has teammate Lukas Grgic to thank for this: "He called me before my transfer, explained the history and goals of Rapid to me in Croatian and convinced me to move from Augsburg to Vienna."

Beljo knows Rapid from his youth
Beljo has known green and white for a long time: "I've known the club since I was ten years old, played against Rapid in youth tournaments and remember a 1:5 in a final in Klagenfurt." He has an experienced strike partner in Carinthian Guido Burgstaller: "Burgi has a great feel for the perfect pass. We try not to let the gap get too big on the pitch in order to create danger with short passes."

Hopefully also in the third-round second leg of the Europa League qualifier against Trabzonspor: "The most important thing will be that we act as a team, as we did in the 1:0 win in Turkey, support each other and close down the spaces." Beljo has never reached the group stage in the European Cup, "of course that's a goal". Likewise, to get more out of it: "Whether physically or in terms of converting chances - I certainly still have a lot of room for improvement."