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The SKN St. Pölten women’s soccer team is in the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. Lower Austria won the second leg of the round of 16 against FC Zurich on Thursday with a goal from Lisa Makas (83rd) 1-0 (0-0) and thus managed to climb with confidence thanks to a 2-0 win in the first duel. The opponent in the round of 16 will be determined on Friday.
The guests kept Zurich under control for long stretches and rarely put themselves in serious danger, for example in the 64th minute when a free kick by Julia Stierli landed on pole. But SKN was unlucky in the 69th minute, as the referee missed a clear foul on Melanie Brunnthaler from a penalty.
“Anyone can come”
St. Pölten made the decision in the 83rd minute: after a Jasmin Eder corner kick, Makas, who had been substituted ten minutes earlier, hit home with a header. “The goal was a relief, before it was the difficult game that was expected, we had to work hard,” said the scorer, who was also relieved by her coach Maria Wolf. “We knew we had to survive the first half hour, because that’s where Zurich will hit the gas. It was a hard work. The first half was not so ideal, the second much better, ”says the 39-year-old, who does not have an ideal opponent. “We are in the round of 16, now anyone can come.”
St. Pölten is only the second Austrian club to participate in the knockout stages of the Champions League. Neulengbach, a former Austrian star, was represented five times in the second round of the ‘premier class’, once in March 2014, including in the quarter-finals.
