Victory over GAK

Sturm’s “dwarf faction” turned up the heat in the derby

Malick Yalcouye cheered with the corner flag at the end

(Bild: Pail Sepp)

A victory of mentality! Sturm left the losers' lane in the final push Otar Kiteishvili and Malick Yalcouyé as heroes of the derby Säumel: "We were the better team"

What a finish! Sturm already looked like the losers in the second derby of the season against GAK, the GAK fans were already celebrating their first derby win since November 2006. But then the favorites turned it around and turned a 0:1 deficit into a 2:1 victory. Only very few Knofel expected this.

It was the fourth win in a row against their city rivals. But this three-pointer was a tough one. Typical of the spring so far. Otar Kiteishvili was primarily to thank for the fact that the Blacks managed to escape the chalice of the derby defeat. The Georgian magic mouse scored the equalizer - the playmaker's eighth goal of the season.

Criticism despite derby win
"I'm so happy that we came back. We've always been bad in the second half this year, but this reaction in this game was the best thing for our team mentality and our energy," Kiteishvili clenched his fist after the final whistle. However, in the hour of triumph, the midfield engine was not sparing with criticism, as the performance was not the yellow of the egg over long stretches. "We were too passive in possession during the game, we can't be happy with that."

Kiteishvili was delighted with the equalizer

(Bild: Pail Sepp)

Kiteishvili measures 1.73 meters, derby hero number two is a shade shorter. At 1.69 meters, Malick Yalcouyé also belongs to the "dwarf faction" in the strike force.

"It was a goal of will"
The little footballer showed his great talent, staying cool as an icicle in front of goalkeeper Wiegele for the winning goal. And the match-winner showed his sense of humor when he put his Sturm kit over the red and white corner flag after his goal. "I'm glad that Malick led us to the three points. He deserved the goal, he's a very special footballer," said Kiteishvili, showering the Brighton loanee with roses.

The two dwarves played the lion's share in the nail-biting victory, but Kjell Scherpen, a giant, also played his part in the three-pointer. "An important win! It wasn't a good match, but that doesn't matter in a derby," said the Dutchman.

Jürgen Säumel also took a deep breath: "We showed mentality and morale, the 2:1 was a goal of absolute willpower," said the coach after his first derby as "boss". "I'm incredibly happy for the team, the club and our fans! We deserved the win, we were the better team."