At West Ham it set the expected defeat for Rapid. The withdrawn penalty was not used as an excuse.
Lost again. Nevertheless, the reactions of the Rapidler after the 2-0 draw at West Ham sounded different than after the bankruptcies of the disappointing September weeks.
Coach Didi Kühbauer emphasizes: “We were close. But only on it. That wasn't enough against such a strong opponent. “
“There was no conviction”
Kevin Wimmer said on his return to London: “We tried everything. We managed to keep the ball in our own ranks. ”Like his coach, the defender said:“ The last conviction was missing. Nothing that can be counted comes out of that. West Ham showed us how to do it. “
More seemed possible in minute 71. Referee Stieler gave a penalty. Marco Grüll explained: “In the game it felt like it wasn't a penalty. Contact was certainly there, but not every contact is a penalty. ”
This wisdom was discussed in detail after the controversial Adeyemi penalty kick in Salzburg.
VAR premiere
At the first home game in the Europa League in West Ham's history, there was also the first VAR appearance. The Hütteldorfer never seemed more dangerous than the withdrawn penalty.
Sports director Zoran Barisic said: “As the game continued, we were always braver and wanted to get more possession. However, we didn't make the right decision in the last third. “
The fact that there are still zero points in the account after two games does not take Barisic's positive view: “All in all, it was a good experience for the players. We presented ourselves well, the conclusion is quite positive. “
The result against WSG Tirol on Sunday must also be positive. Coach Kühbauer and the Rapidler need a home win. Urgently.
