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In Antwerp, LASK may take an important step towards the round of 16 of the Europa League (21:00 on the LIVE and DAZN ticker), but the terrorist attack in Vienna is also a problem before the game of “The Great Old”.
At LASK’s closing press conference on Wednesday night before the Europa League guest appearance at the Royal Antwerp, coach Dominik Thalhammer was also questioned by a Belgian journalist about Monday night’s terror attack in Vienna “The current situation is very difficult and makes you think a lot,” says the 50-year-old, referring to the corona pandemic and confirming that the terrorist attack was “of course a problem” on his team recently.
In professional football, however, it helps “that we are very distracted by our work,” stressed Thalhammer, who now the focus is “clearly on the match” against the Belgian cup champion. “I think we can hide very well.”
That will also be necessary, because the conqueror of Tottenham will not be an easy task for the High Austrians.
“Intense and closed game”
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Royal Antwerp is still harmless in the current Europa League. The 2-1 away win at Ludogorets Razgrad was followed by a sensational 1-0 win against Tottenham by coach Ivan Leko’s team.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the fifth player in the Belgian league leads Group J with six points after two games.
Tottenham and LASK follow with three points each. Linz’s team, assuming a victory in the second leg against Krasnodar, have to take something from Belgium to maintain their chances of promotion to the knockout stage, otherwise Tottenham must be beaten at Gugl.
“It will be a very intense and close game,” said LASK coach Thalhammer.
“With Antwerp we find a team that is not different from us in many areas, but then acts differently in detailed situations. Therefore, we have analyzed Antwerp very carefully and we know what challenges we will face in the field. These challenges we have prepared ourselves and have the necessary resources to master them successfully. “
Sturm-Duo as Trumpf
Such a challenge will be presented by the Israeli Lior Refaelov. The 39-time former national player, who has played for Belgium since 2011, is the Belgians’ most dangerous striker with five goals this season. In the Europa League he was successful once each against Ludogorets and Tottenham.
But not only the Israelis are waiting for Ranftl, Trauner, Wiesinger and company. With Deumerci Mbokani, the 34-year-old has an outstanding teammate.
The 34-year-old from the Democratic Republic of the Congo ties his shoes before arriving in Antwerp in August 2018, including in the Premier League for Norwich City and Hull City.
The national player made his breakthrough at RSC Anderlecht, where the center forward scored 44 goals in 69 appearances between 2011 and 2013.
Dynamo Kiev, where he played with ÖFB central defender Aleksandar Dragovic, subsequently secured the services of the African, who ended up free in Antwerp after two loans to England.
For “The Great Old”, Mbokani scored 42 goals in 82 games and contributed 21 assists.
Parallel to LASK
Thalhammer sees similarities in the way the two teams play, but similarities can also be seen off the field in the recent past.
After relegation in the 2003/04 season, Belgium’s oldest club swung into the second division. Despite its status as one of Belgium’s fan magnets, Antwerp did not live up to its own potential for a long time.
This changed suddenly with the arrival of businessman Patrick Decuyper in 2015. In 2017, the club returned to the first division and in August 2020 they won the cup, their first title in 28 years. Top scorer in the final against Anderlecht: Lior Refaelov.
All this recalls the accident and the subsequent resurrection of the people of Linz. In 2012, the Linzers were denied their Bundesliga license, resulting in a clash at Regionalliga Mitte. At the end of 2013, the “Friends of LASK” took over the club in financial distress, created it and laid the foundations for the sports recovery of recent years.
A rebound that marked the second consecutive participation in the group stage of the Europa League.
To stay in the race longer than just the group stage, I think you need a point today. As Thalhammer knows, it will be a challenge against the team with the number one on their shield and on the table next to their name.
Text as: © LAOLA1.at
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