Conference League:

LASK against Djurgardens IF – LIVE from 9pm

LASK welcomes Djurgardens IF.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

First matchday in the UEFA Conference League. LASK host Djurgarden, we report live from 9pm - see ticker below.

Here is the live ticker:

For LASK, the European Cup season opens with their first appearance in the Conference League. Linz, who are lagging behind in the Bundesliga, host Sweden's current second-placed Djurgardens IF and want to continue their national upward trend under Markus Schopp. He has big plans. "Games like this are there to be played, to be enjoyed, but also to be won," said the LASK coach.

Markus Schopp

(Bild: GEPA)

Fan boycott
Five days after the hard-fought 1:1 at Rapid, Schopp is aiming for a third win in the fifth game with his new club. After a completely disastrous start to the season under Thomas Darazs, the Athletiker are clearly on the upswing and would love to confirm their improved form at international level. The joy is clouded by the boycott of the organized fan scene in the stadium. The supporters announced their intention to support the team from the stadium forecourt.

The recent uphill climb will be needed to stand up to the visitors from Stockholm - even if the home side are the favorites. Schopp expects a "very intense, very flexible opponent". He saw the Conference League as a "reward" for the past season, but first and foremost as an opportunity for his team.

"It's a huge opportunity to make a statement internationally, regardless of the opponent," emphasized Schopp ahead of his second European Cup match as coach. In his first, he and TSV Hartberg lost to Piast Gliwice in Poland in the 2020 Europa League qualifiers.

Zulj is looking forward to "a really good opponent"
Captain Robert Zulj took up the suggestion. "We're on a really good path. We have to keep going and make the next statement," noted the playmaker and enforcer. Zulj also spoke of a "really good opponent".

Robert Zulj

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Djurgarden can be described as a model team in the Swedish league. The twelve-time champions were last at the top in 2019 and have consistently finished in the top four since then. Only Malmö is currently ahead of the multi-sport club. The best-known name in the squad is Albin Ekdal. Even though the 77-time former Swedish team player, who played for Juventus and HSV among others, has hardly played a role in the current season. The team that finished fourth in last season's championship worked their way into the Conference League via Progres Niederkorn (LUX), Austria-Wien conquerors Ilves Tampere and NK Maribor.

"Upward trend recognizable"
Thomas Lagerlöf, who has been in charge of the first team together with Kim Bergstrand since 2019, said that Linz were on the up after the change of coach. "The team has grown together more and more over time, so there is a clear upward trend," said Lagerlöf. The LASK squad is "generally of a high quality", but his team is "ready for the task". Central defender Marcus Danielson will not be present as he has to attend a court hearing in the legal dispute with his former agency. The club gave him time off for this.

This will be LASK's twelfth European Cup encounter with a Swedish club. The last one dates back to June 1996, when the Athletiker beat Djurgarden 2:0 in the Intertoto Cup. Back then, around 600 spectators attended the game in Wels, but there will be slightly more this time. 9,000 tickets had been sold by midday on Wednesday.

The anticipation was dampened by the announced stadium boycott by diehard fans protesting against the high ticket prices. Schopp described this as "extremely bitter". Everyone in Linz had been looking forward to the European Cup. "In the end, we are responsible for delivering a good game and creating euphoria," he said. It was important for the club to find a solution.