Image: Action Images via Reuters
London. Football in England is always an experience, even at the unpopular London Stadium. In the Premier League, after the hymn “I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles”, there is mostly silence despite passable games, but in the Europa League West Ham's “Hammers” celebrated a party at the European Cup return after 16 years of waiting against Rapid.
60,000 spectators, 1,000 of them from Vienna, sang, danced, caused a commotion – and saw a great match. The hosts scored two hits on the pole and ultimately won with a sovereign 2-0 (Rice, 29th; Benrahma, 90th + 3rd).
Anything else was not to be expected on the second match day of the Europa League (Group H). Grünweiß had neither hidden nor given up after disappointments in the league. But there was no recipe for creating a surprise against the “Queen's favorite club”.
Even the fact that Grüll (71st) stumbled over his own feet in the penalty area was of no use despite the penalty whistle – after all, there is the VAR. For further (spatial) clarification: Rapid kicked the first corner in the 89th minute.
Rapid struggled, kept up surprisingly well, but is still bottom of the table after the second defeat. If there is no victory against Tyrol on Sunday, Grünweiß will also bring up the rear in Austria.
