Vienna Open League Campaign with Convincing Home Win
To open the new ADMIRAL 2. Liga season, Vienna welcomed SK Sturm Graz II to Hohe Warte. The Blues and Yellows impressed from the start and laid the foundations for victory with a 2–0 lead before half-time. In the end, Vienna celebrated a convincing 4–0 home win over Sturm II.
Compared to last week’s cup match against MSV 2020, head coach Patrick Enengl made just one change to the starting XI: Bernhard Unger returned between the posts after recovering from injury, replacing Kilian Kretschmer.
Strong Start from the Blues and Yellows
Vienna made a strong start and looked to make an attacking impact from the opening minutes. In the sixth minute, the hosts created their first dangerous opportunity. Zimmermann headed the ball into the path of Fillafer, whose effort was too central and posed no problem for Elias Lorenz in the Graz goal.
The visitors threatened for the first time in the 18th minute. Niklas Lang fired from distance, but fortunately for the hosts, his effort clipped the crossbar. Overall, Vienna remained the dominant side during the opening stages.
Zimmermann Opens the Scoring
In the 22nd minute, Vienna deservedly took the lead. Captain Bernhard Luxbacher took aim from around 20 metres and fired towards goal. Lorenz could only parry the low shot into the path of Zimmermann, who was on hand to calmly finish and make it 1–0.
Vienna continued to control the game after taking the lead. In the 33rd minute, Prohart delivered a dangerous cross into the box towards Zimmermann, who was under heavy pressure and could only head the ball over the bar.
Just a few minutes later, head coach Patrick Enengl was forced into his first substitution. Bernhard Luxbacher left the pitch with an injury and was replaced by Filip Mrzljak.
Fillafer Makes It 2–0
Shortly after the substitution, Vienna won a corner which the Graz defence initially managed to clear. The ball fell to Fillafer on the edge of the penalty area, and he found the bottom corner with a precise finish to make it 2–0.
It was already Fillafer’s third competitive goal for Vienna, following his brace in the UNIQA ÖFB Cup.
Before half-time, the visitors had two opportunities to pull a goal back. In the 42nd minute, Maierhofer headed just over the bar from a corner. Moments later, Peinhart dribbled his way into the Vienna penalty area, but his low effort went wide of Bernhard Unger’s goal.
Vienna went into the break with a deserved 2–0 lead.
Vienna Remain in Control
The second half followed a similar pattern to the opening 45 minutes. Vienna remained solid defensively while continuing to create dangerous moments going forward. In the 51st minute, Fillafer found himself in a promising position but fired wide.
In the 59th minute, Unger was called into action again after a long spell without being tested. The Vienna goalkeeper produced a strong save to deny Petritsch’s long-range effort.
Triple Substitution for Vienna
Patrick Enengl made a triple substitution in the 64th minute, with Fillafer, Zimmermann and Nagele making way. Monschein, Soukouna and Winter entered the game.
Winter Makes It 3–0
The substitutions paid off almost immediately. Just a minute later, Prohart played the ball into Winter, who unleashed a powerful low shot to make it 3–0.
Monschein Adds a Fourth
Vienna were not finished yet. In the 77th minute, Soukouna flicked the ball on with a header into the path of Christoph Monschein. The striker rounded the opposing goalkeeper and calmly slotted the ball home to make it 4–0.
Three minutes later, Patrick Enengl made his final substitution, with the impressive Raul Marte replaced by Rosenberger.
With a convincing and thoroughly deserved home victory, Vienna made an excellent start to the new ADMIRAL 2. Liga season. Next week, the Blues and Yellows face their next challenge away from home against Austria Salzburg.
