Report: Two-goal win against Sturm Graz

On Saturday at 14:30 in Terme Catez, Slovenia, our team played against Sturm Graz of the Austrian top division behind closed doors. Manager Imre Szabics started with the following side against his former club with Kovács D. - Nego, Lüftner, Musliu, Heister - Funsho, Szendrei, Makarenko, Petryak - Kodro, Dárdai kicking off. 

The first big chance came in the 6th minute when Makarenko headed a free kick from Petryak at goal, but Schützenauer was able to clear the ball. Two minutes later, Jantscher's low shot rolled past Kovács and in the 19th minute, Dárdai's 20-metre free-kick was cleared. A minute later, Palkó won the ball in the opponent's half, before he passed it to Kodro, who curled a tricky shot into the net from 14 metres - the Graz goalkeeper's task was not made any easier by the fact that the shot deflected off one of the defenders who was trying to block (0-1).

Ten minutes after the goal, Niangbo tried with a 16-metre shot from 18 yards out, and his low shot to the far post went wide as Kovács didn't have to save. Half an hour into the game, Jantscher dribbled inside our penalty area, but he didn't have much power to shoot and Kovács saved confidently. Four minutes before the end of the first half, we led a dangerous counter attack, Petryak made a great sprint down the right side of the pitch, Dárdai arrived in the middle but it was saved by the Austrian defenders. The first half ended with a long range shot from Dárdai, but on this occasion neither the defenders nor the goalkeeper had to intervene, and soon afterwards the referee blew for half-time.

Imre Szabics made no changes at the break, while the Austrians made ten substitutions. The second half started well for us, as in the 49th minute of the match Heister stuck a powerful shot into the top right corner from distance (0-2). Six minutes later, Nego's long-range shot was headed just wide by Sturm's substitute keeper, and the rebound fell to Kodro, but our Bosnian international striker volleyed the ball over the goal. In the 60th minute, all our players left the pitch except for Dániel Kovács and Lüftner, and the substitutes were replaced by Kojnok, Dinnyés, Hangya, Kovács, Alef, Csoboth, Evandro, Nikolic and new signing Peter Zulj.

Ten minutes after the substitutions, Evandro's shot from a sharp angle missed the target. Shortly afterwards, Zulj's corner was again met by Evandro who threatened but this time with a header, but the keeper did not have to save. In the dying stages of the game, Schendl rolled the ball in from distance, but Dániel Kovács cleared it from under the bar to give us a 2-0 win against Sturm Graz.