Rapid Wien believes in advancing to the Conference League group stage
"I believe we have good chances if we bring our virtues and qualities to the field," said Rapid Vienna coach Peter Stöger. In front of a full house, the Hütteldorf team wants to "do everything possible."
Defeat in the first leg of the Conference League qualification does not change Rapid Vienna's course
A week ago in Györ, the Viennese struggled on a damaged pitch. "We were a bit too passive in the first half, reacted too little to certain things, and did not act ourselves," explained Stöger. "Nevertheless, it was the second half in which we conceded the goals. There are reasons for that, which we have also discussed. We did much better in Wolfsberg for over 70 minutes." Unlike the Hungarians, Rapid did not postpone the championship match last Sunday. For Stöger, that was the right decision - not only because of the 2-1 victory in Lavanttal.
According to Stöger, the result in the first leg is not the problem, as he assured. "1-1 or 1-2 does not change the course. We would have had to win the game anyway." It will not be an easy task, as "everyone saw that the opponent has qualities." However, Stöger was convinced that the team is "all in all on a good path." They have coped well with the previous strains of the season and achieved all interim goals up to the international break. "And we keep seeing things in the games that are really good. If we bring that to the field, it can work."
Stöger was also pleased with the call-up of his youngster Nikolaus Wurmbrand to the ÖFB A-team squad. Due to a muscle injury in the thigh, the offensive dribbler was long absent from the squad and only trained lightly before making his comeback in August in the home match against Dundee United. Against ETO, the 19-year-old scored the Rapid goal in the first leg, and against WAC, he even scored a double. The danger that Wurmbrand might now get carried away does not exist, said sports director Markus Katzer. "He is one of the nicest guys we have." Stöger added: "We rather hope it gives him a boost."
Elimination for Rapid Vienna would be a problem for UEFA ranking
Apart from the long-term injured, all players are currently fit. Newcomer Martin Ndzie could make his debut. The Cameroonian received the red-white-red card after a long wait and is eligible to play in the Conference League qualification today, Thursday, due to the previous registration. "He will not be in the starting lineup," announced Stöger. The recently signed Australian Marco Tilio is not yet allowed to play according to UEFA regulations.
If Rapid is eliminated in the play-off, the consequences would be multifaceted. Without the league phase, important revenues would be lost, but they were not calculated in the basic budget. Rather, the general good mood that the season start has provided would take a hit. The prospect of international matches was one of the main reasons why the newcomers came in the summer, said Stöger. And the squad would not be adjusted as much before the transfer window closes as it would be with progression.
Another issue is the overall situation of Austrian clubs concerning the UEFA five-year ranking. In the previous season, Rapid contributed more than 50 percent of Austria's points thanks to the highly successful Conference League campaign. The non-participation of the Viennese would not bode well for this season - regardless of who the other Bundesliga representatives would be.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.