WSG Tirol defeated Sturm Graz 1-0 on Saturday in a closely contested Austrian Bundesliga match played in rainy conditions at the Tivoli Stadion Tirol in Innsbruck. Jamie Lawrence scored the decisive goal in the 78th minute, securing the victory for the home side.
The win for Tirol marks their first since December 3rd, also against Sturm Graz, ending a three-match losing streak. Sturm Graz, meanwhile, failed to score for the first time in 13 league games.
The first half saw limited scoring opportunities. Nikolai Baden Frederiksen had a free kick for Tirol in the 13th minute, and Matthäus Taferner attempted a long-range shot in the 39th, but both missed the target. Sturm’s best chance of the half fell to Emir Karic, who was denied by Tirol goalkeeper Adam Stejskal in the 45th minute.
Sturm Graz suffered an injury in the first half, with Otar Kiteishvili being replaced by Jacob Hödl in the 42nd minute. Hödl himself had a chance early in the second half, but his shot went wide. The visitors then lost Jusuf Gazibegovic to a muscle injury in the 75th minute.
The breakthrough came following a corner kick from Taferner. David Kubatta, returning to the starting lineup, headed the ball onto the post, and Matteo Bignetti’s clearance fell to Lawrence, who scored with a flick of the heel.
In stoppage time, Sturm Graz appealed for a penalty, but the referee waved play on. Sturm Graz’s new signing, Albert Vallci, featured in the defense for the away side.
WSG Tirol coach Philipp Semlic acknowledged the challenging conditions and the importance of the win. “When you win 1-0 at home against Sturm, which was aggressive and combative, then you’ve done a lot right. We are happy with the win, but it wasn’t a good football match. We have to keep things in perspective, there was little of what we desire to stand for, little cohesive action, a lot of fighting and duels. We accepted that, were very present, active, diligent and won the decisive duels. It was not surprising that a set piece decided such a game.”
Sturm Graz coach Fabio Ingolitsch expressed his disappointment with his team’s performance. “I had the feeling that Tirol was more prepared than we were from the beginning. They went into the game with more heart and passion and were more assertive in the duels. In such weather, that is the prerequisite for delivering a good game. It took us a long time to secure into the game, which is why I am disappointed. There was a lot of patchwork. It is true that there were problems before I was here. That is no secret, just as it is no secret that we still have problems. You can’t just wave them away. We have to stand together and keep working.”
The result leaves Red Bull Salzburg leading the Bundesliga table with 10 points, one point ahead of Sturm Graz. LASK is two points behind Sturm Graz after securing a late draw against Ried. Tirol are now three points behind Ried in the battle for a place in the championship round.
