2:1 home win in CoL

SK Rapid vs Borac Banja Luka from 18:45 LIVE

Done! The Rapid team is through to the Conference League quarter-finals

(Bild: GEPA)

SK Rapid have reached the quarter-finals of a European Cup competition for the first time in 29 years! The Viennese club defeated Bosnian champions Borac Banja Luka 2:1 n.V. (1:1, 0:0) in the second leg of the last 16 of the Conference League on Thursday after a 100-minute assault. They will now face Swedish club Djurgarden in the quarter-finals on April 10 (away) and 17.

Rapid had clearly dominated the first leg in a 1-1 draw, but Robert Klauß' side were even more superior in front of 23,000 fans in Hütteldorf. The Green-Whites missed a number of top-class chances, hit the aluminum three times and fell behind with the visitors' first shot on goal through Sandri Ogrinec (66'). Dion Beljo, who had already scored in Banja Luka, quickly equalized (70'). In extra time, Louis Schaub (96) redeemed his team and the fans with his 19th European Cup goal.

Double chance after 30 seconds
After less than 30 seconds, Rapid had a huge chance to get off to a dream start. After a cross from Nikolaus Wurmbrand, Beljo got to the edge of the box but shot at the goalkeeper. Schaub hit the crossbar with the follow-up shot.

Rapid, as in the first leg with captain Matthias Seidl only on the substitutes' bench and surprisingly with Moritz Oswald at left-back, followed up. With quick and precise combination play, they put their deep-lying opponents under pressure, mostly down the right flank. However, eight shots in the penalty area in the first 20 minutes were unsuccessful.

(Bild: GEPA)

Rapid's bad luck before and after the break
Even the heavy rain that set in after a quarter of an hour did not slow down the flow of the game. The Hütteldorfer were unlucky again after a corner kick. Isak Jansson struck the crossbar for a second time (37'), and the confusing scenes that followed were just as unsuccessful as the storm and urge phase at the end of the first half. 24 attacks by Rapid led the statistics at the break.

Rapid continued with their dominant play in the second half - and only hit the aluminum for a third time with a shot from Wurmbrand (49th). In the 61st minute, Wurmbrand launched a counter-attack and finished himself instead of feeding one of two very well-positioned teammates.

Borac converted first chance
The lack of efficiency in front of goal was to take its revenge. The visitors, who had been completely harmless up to that point, took the lead in the 66th minute when Ogrinec, who had signed from WSG Tirol in the summer, scored with an opener. However, the reply came quickly, Beljo scoring with a shot from just outside the penalty area (70'). Shots from Mamadou Sangare, Jansson, Oswald and Ercan Kara missed the target at the end of normal time.

19th European Cup goal from Schaub
The next restart brought the next top chances for Rapid. Goalkeeper Filip Manojlovic made strong saves to deny Jansson and Beljo (both 92nd), but he was beaten in the 96th minute. Schaub finished off a beautiful combination perfectly into the far corner. With his 19th European Cup goal, he moved ahead of club legend Hans Krankl (18) and is Rapid's number two behind Steffen Hofmann (25). Things got dicey once more in the 108th minute when Bendeguz Bolla was tackled by Stefan Savic in the penalty area, but no whistle was blown.

(Bild: GEPA)

The success earned Rapid an additional 1.3 million euros in UEFA bonuses and a tailwind for the next deciding match. On Sunday, the Hütteldorfer will once again battle at home against GAK for a place in the Bundesliga Champions Group.

The result:
SK Rapid - FK Borac Banja Luka 2:1 (0:0)
Vienna, Allianz Stadium, 23,000 spectators, referee Lindhout (NED)

Goals: 0:1 (66.) Ogrinec, 1:1 (70.) Beljo, 2:1 (96.) Schaub

First leg 1:1 - Rapid advance to the quarter-finals (April 10 away, April 17 at home) against Djurgarden

Yellow cards: Sangare (suspended for the first leg of the quarter-final) and Vukovic, Kulasin, Nikolov, Meijers

Rapid: Hedl - Bolla, Cvetkovic, Raux-Yao, Oswald (102. Böckle) - Schaub (102. Radulovic), Sangare (113. Børkeeiet), Lu. Grgic (66. M. Seidl), Jansson (102. Bischof) - Beljo, Wurmbrand (82. Kara)
Borac: Manojlovic - Rogan (97. Cavic), Meijers, Carolina, Herrera - Ogrinec, Grahovac (102. Dajic) - Kulasin, Savic, Vukovic (74. Nikolov) - Despotovic (86. Vranjes)