Europa League qualifier

LASK vs FCSB Bucharest – LIVE from 7pm

LASK missed out on a better starting position for the second leg next week.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

LASK only managed a 1-1 draw against FCSB Bucharest in the first leg of the Europa League play-offs. After a strong opening phase, Linz took the lead in the 34th minute with a goal from Adil Taoui, but the visitors equalized shortly before half-time. LASK then struggled and missed out on a better starting position for the second leg in Romania next Thursday. 

LASK still have a long way to go in the league phase of the Europa League. In the first leg of the qualifying play-off, the team from Linz were held to a 1-1 (1-1) draw at home to FCSB Bucharest on Thursday and still have to survive the tough second leg away from home exactly seven days later. Even if they are eliminated, however, the Upper Austrians are guaranteed a place in the Conference League phase.

The LASK players were first able to celebrate taking the lead.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Adil Taoui gave the home side, who clearly dominated the first half, a deserved lead (34'). After David Miculescu's particularly ill-timed equalizer (45.+2) almost on the stroke of half-time, the Athletics failed to show any of the qualities they had displayed up to that point and were even lucky not to concede another goal after a game of modest quality.

Injury shock before the game
FCSB, the successor to former Champions Cup winners Steaua (1986), initially had little to offer in front of 10,650 spectators at the Gugl. LASK had no problem keeping the extremely cautious visitors at bay. Goalkeeper Jörg Siebenhandl, who replaced Tobias Lawal, who had injured his thigh in the warm-up, was out of work.

Coach Thomas Darazs' team even had two really good chances in the first half hour through Moses Usor, but he missed them miserably (8th, 21st). However, the clear superiority in play finally bore fruit: captain Robert Zulj ideally served the incoming Taoui, who shot in safely from a few meters.

Crossbar for the finish
Instead of pushing forward, however, the home side's attacking play fell asleep a little, and the penalty followed hot on the heels of that. Siebenhandl defused the first dicey situation after Valon Berisha's misplaced back pass, skilfully throwing himself into Alexandru Baluta's finish (40'). Melayro Bogarde half-heartedly defended a cross against Miculescu and Siebenhandl, who was already behind the line, knocked the ball into the goal himself.

That was the end of LASK's dominance. The second half belonged to the now much more active visitors for a long time. To make matters worse, Linz lost Zulj, who was bleeding from the nose, after just over an hour. FCSB made the most of the space that presented itself, got dangerously close to goal on several occasions and were ultimately closer to scoring the winner than the Upper Austrians, Siebenhandl being called upon twice against Miculesu (71') and Octavian Popescu (75').

LASK mostly lacked bright ideas. Berisha had the best and virtually only chance, hitting the crossbar (86').