Vienna fall to Sturm Graz in a 3:5 thriller
As part of a double event, our team faced SK Sturm Graz in Round 3 of the ADMIRAL Women’s Bundesliga.
Strong start for Vienna
Vienna created their first dangerous moment through a corner kick. Lena Kovar delivered a low cross to Pfanner, but her shot was blocked. Moments later, Pfanner again had a big chance after a low cross from Kerschbaumer, but her effort also missed the target.
Guests strike first
Completely against the run of play, the visitors took the lead from a free kick. Kovar unfortunately deflected the cross into her own net.
Even after conceding, Vienna remained the dominant side. In the 25th minute, Hahn found Gebert with a cross, but her header lacked precision and went wide.
In the 28th minute, Sturm doubled their lead. After a defensive turnover, Jakobsen picked up the ball, got past Wende, and finished to make it 0-2.
Trailing at halftime
Vienna continued to dictate the tempo but struggled to create clear chances. In the 40th minute, Hahn’s long-range effort narrowly missed the target. Despite their dominance, the blue-and-yellows couldn’t pull one back before the break and went into halftime two goals down.
During the interval, the Hohe Warte witnessed a very special moment: a marriage proposal. The entire stadium shared the excitement as Matthias awaited Juliane’s “yes.”
Dear Juliane and Matthias – the entire Vienna family congratulates you on your engagement and wishes you all the very best for your future together.
Head coach Mark Dobrounig made a halftime change, bringing on Denise Lueger for Hannah Fankhauser. Vienna came out with great energy and were quickly rewarded. After a cross from Kerschbaumer, Gebert set up Pfanner, who slotted the ball home to make it 1-2.
Vienna pushed hard for the equalizer but couldn’t break through. Instead, Sturm struck again. Kustrin unleashed a long-range shot that beat goalkeeper Wende, restoring the two-goal cushion.
Vienna fight back, but Sturm respond
As before, Vienna refused to give up and kept pushing. Substitute Lara Felix pulled one back with a lovely curling effort into the far corner to make it 2-3. But the joy was short-lived: just moments later, Marie Spieß scored at the near post to extend Sturm’s lead to 2-4.
In the closing minutes, the pattern remained the same: Vienna dominated play but paid dearly for defensive errors. Lueger scored to cut the deficit to 3-4, but once again the visitors responded immediately. In the 86th minute, Kustrin finished off a counterattack to seal the 3-5 final score in a memorable match.
First Vienna FC 1894 vs. SK Sturm Graz 3:5 (0:2)
ADMIRAL Women’s Bundesliga, Round 3
Friday, August 29, 2025, 20:30
Naturarena Hohe Warte, 1,142 spectators
Goals: 0-1 Kovar (OG 11’), 0-2 Jakobsen (27’), 1-2 Pfanner (50’), 1-3 Spieß (61’), 1-4 Kustrin (69’), 2-4 Felix (71’), 3-4 Lueger (85’), 3-5 Kustrin (87’)
Vienna lineup: Wende, Schneiderbauer, Osl (80’ Wasser), Amuchie, Kerschbaumer, Kovar, Pfanner, Fankhauser (46’ Lueger), Hahn, Sarac (61’ Felix), Gebert
