Fourth matchday in Europa League Group D. Atalanta Bergamo welcomes Sturm Graz, with the sportkrone.at live ticker you can be there from 9 p.m.
Here is the live ticker: Despite their low form, Sturm Graz set off for Bergamo for a surprise. Austria’s soccer runner-up would like to see their chance of promotion in the Europa League preserved even after the guest appearance at Italian league fifth-placed Atalanta. “In order to surprise, we need a collective top performance,” Sturm coach Christian Ilzer knew before the game in the fourth round. Bankruptcies against Austria and LASKAfter an almost golden October, Sturm has deviated from the path to success. The Graz team won the explosive cup derby against GAK 3-2. Before and after that, however, there were the first and second league defeats. In the 0:1 against Vienna Austria and 1:3 against LASK, the Ilzer team lacked playful solutions and the usual force. Salzburg is already laughing from the top of the table again. Ilzer refused to paint the situation too blackly. “A negative mood would be completely unrealistic at the moment,” said the Sturm coach, who can do little to create an additional gloomy mood in Graz. The media and club-internal processing of the derby riots has recently been above all else in the Styrian capital. In terms of sport, the black and white camp has come to the realization that “okay games” (Ilzer) are not enough nationally either. “Not being on point offensively and defensively is not enough in the league and especially not against a club like Atalanta Bergamo. We have to improve our performance,” demanded Ilzer. The chance is aliveAt halftime in Group D, everything is still possible for Sturm. With four points, Graz are level with Sporting and three points behind the still undefeated Italians, who could make a preliminary decision on Thursday. Rakow – Sturm is dueling with the Poles at home in the 5th round – holds on to one point. The group winner is in the round of 16, the second in the round of 16 against a group third in the Champions League, the third in the intermediate round of the Conference League. Ilzer said about the table situation: “We always have to give ourselves the maximum confidence.” In terms of personnel, the signs for the tricky task in Bergamo, which is forecast to rain, are not the best. Otar Kiteishvili only traveled to Italy for team-internal reasons; the idea and pacesetter in midfield cannot continue playing due to an irritated Achilles tendon. Seedy Jatta, who is supposed to make the important deep runs in the attack, tore a muscle fiber in his thigh in the derby against GAK. Captain Stefan Hierländer is also missing due to suspension. In addition, important players are uncertain about their form. Manprit Sarkaria has been goalless for a month and recently missed two penalties. Tomi Horvat was mainly on the bench before Kiteishvili’s loss. Even Jon Gorenc Stankovic currently seems to be paying tribute to his enormous workload. However, the Slovenian midfielder has not lost his desire to attack. “We showed in the first leg (2:2, note) with one man less that we can keep up with Atalanta. We have to act with courage and want to win.” “Emergency occupation” for the home team The “goddess” from Bergamo is also wounded. The day before the game, the “Gazzetta dello Sport” called out “Allarme Atalanta” and wrote about an “emergency crew” for the important game. Central defender Giorgio Scalvini, full-back Matteo Ruggeri and offensive man Charles De Ketelare are now out. Of course, the Berga masks remain of the same high quality. Luis Muriel, for example, who scored twice in Graz, only came into the game ten minutes before the end of the 2-1 home defeat at the weekend against Salzburg’s Champions League opponents Inter Milan. Ilzer prepared his ball hunters for an intensive game against a team that was confident on the ball . “We have to be prepared that they will bring even more confidence into their game at home and that we will have to run longer passing routes.” David Affengruber was looking forward to a career highlight. “A floodlit game against a top Serie A club – there is nothing cooler in football. We want to take points and show who we are,” said the Sturm defender. The game will be played in a stadium that can only hold around 15,000 fans due to renovations. The away sector will be packed. The capacity of the guest sector is also limited to 750.
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