LASK
LASK started with a victory in the qualification for the Conference League, won 1-0 at Serbia-Klub Vojvodina Novi Sad.
The winning goal of the oppressively superior Stahlstädter had scored in the first leg of the third qualifying round for the newly created Conference League Peter Michorl in the 70th minute. The rarely dangerous Serbs had previously scored an aluminum goal through Nemanja Covic (57th).
The second leg to get into the play-off will take place on August 12th in Klagenfurt. The Paschinger Stadium is not approved for European Cup qualifiers. Should Dominik Thalhammer's team take the Novi Sad hurdle, the loser of the Galatasaray game against St. Johnstone from Scotland would wait.
In front of 6,000 approved fans in the Vojvodina Stadium, the Linz athletes had taken command from kick-off. With their almost 70 percent possession of the ball, the Stahlstädter hadn't started much in the first round against low-ranking Serbs. Alexander Schmidt pushed the ball past the far corner in the 17th minute, Marvin Potzmann (27th) and Rene Renner (33rd) found their master in the strong Vojvodina keeper Nikola Simic.
The hosts hadn't fired a single dangerous shot on goal in the first half, but became more dangerous with the onset of rain after the break. And missed the lead. Captain Nemanja Covic had only hit aluminum in the 57th minute.
In the end, the Bundesliga club improved again and was promptly rewarded with the lead. After a pass from Florian Flecker, Michorl withdrew from a distance, Vojvodina keeper Simic had no defense – 1-0 (70th). In the 88th, the midfield engine was only centimeters short of a double.
With desperate attacks, the Serbian Cup finalist of the past season tried to equalize, but when Mladen Devetak closed, the largely unemployed LASK keeper Alexander Schlager was there (88th). Only four minutes later the Serbs weakened themselves, Luka Cucin saw the red card after a tough tackle against Husein Balic (92nd). This sealed the Linz 1-0 success.
