The next hit
Careful, biting! Sturm need a muzzle
Third against first - the champions already have the next big match waiting for them in Wolfsberg this Saturday (5pm). Since the horror season in 2020, the Lavanttal has not lost in six games. On a positive note: Jürgen Säumel's team have two men on the verge of a comeback.
It was June 24, 2020 and Sturm were staggering through the championship group in a bad way and were just cannon fodder for the competition. And the WAC had no mercy on the Blacks on this June day either, sending them to the boards with a 2:0 win. The defeat of the team of interim coach Nikon El Maestro, who replaced his suspended brother Nestor in the Lavanttal at the time, no longer mattered to anyone. The fans had long since put the messed-up season behind them. After that came the turnaround, Andreas Schicker and Christian Ilzer took over.
However, Sturm's empty record at the time was their last defeat in Lavanttal, and since then the champions have been unbeaten in six games as visitors. Yield: four wins, two draws! Sturm will look to continue in the same vein when they travel to Wolfsberg today. After the 2-2 draw in the first spring game against runners-up Austria, WAC, the sensational third-placed team in the championship, awaits.
Last week, Didi Kühbauer's team made an exclamation mark with a 3:1 win at Rapid. Underlines: The Wolves are biting again! Jürgen Säumel, who had his first ever head coach role with the Wolfsberg amateurs before the man from Neumarkt resigned after 15 games around two years ago, has not failed to notice this.
It won't be an easy game for us. We want to be even more focused up front and score more goals.
Sturms Gregory Wüthrich
"A really tough away game awaits us. The WAC have an experienced squad with good individual players, can create a lot of danger, especially in transitional play, and are strong with set pieces. Their win against Rapid has certainly boosted their self-confidence," says the Sturm coach ahead of the heated encounter with his former club.
The zero as a goal
In contrast to the last duels with the WAC, Sturm will only travel across the pack on the day of the match, move into day rooms and dispense with the usual barracking. Also on the bus is Max Johnston, who has been out of action for around three weeks with a calf injury. And Tochi Chukwuani, a strong six-man, is also back after suspension. There is still a question mark over young star Leon Grgic.
After conceding nine goals in the four games so far this year, the aim this time is to keep a clean sheet against the double winners. "That's a big goal. It's not an easy game for us. We want to be even more purposeful up front and score more goals," emphasizes Gregory Wüthrich.
The Blacks are aiming for their first league win in 2025 and still have a bone to pick with the Carinthians. Nobody has forgotten the 3-0 defeat in Graz in the first clash of the season in the fall. Stankovic and Co. know that the "Wolves" have bite again under "Don Didi". Sturm need a muzzle today.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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