The Austrian Bundesliga will play the second round of Championship Group matches this weekend. However, before the next round of matches in the Championship Group, the Austrian Cup semifinals will take place.
Sturm Graz will host LASK Linz on Thursday in one of the semifinals, while Rapid Wien and Ried will meet in the other semifinal game.
Es gibt keine Ausreden - Am Ostersonntag alle nach Linz! Gemma Schwoaze. 🏁 #sturmgraz #ASKSTU— SK Sturm Graz (@SKSturm) April 3, 2023
Es gibt keine Ausreden - Am Ostersonntag alle nach Linz! Gemma Schwoaze. 🏁 #sturmgraz #ASKSTU
Sturm Graz and LASK will play twice this week, with the clubs meeting again in the Bundesliga Championship Group on Sunday.
Sturm Graz reached the quarterfinals with a massive win over cupholders Red Bull Salzburg. The match finished 1-1, as Sturm Graz claimed a 5-4 victory on penalties.
LASK claimed a 1-0 win over Austria Klagenfurt to move into the final four. Robert Zulj scored the game’s only goal.
Thursday’s match will be the third of the season between Sturm Graz and LASK. In August, LASK went to Sturm Graz and won 1-0 in the Bundesliga.
The reverse fixture ended 1-1. Three of the last six games between Sturm Graz and LASK ended as draws.
LASK claimed just one win from the last six games between the clubs. Sturm Graz picked up two wins during that time. However, this season, LASK have been in good form in games against Sturm Graz.
The two clubs finished second and third, respectively, in the Bundesliga standings. Neither club is likely to win the Bundesliga title.
Salzburg’s points total before the Championship Group was likely unassailable. An Austrian Cup win would be a major coup for either club.
Trophies have been few and far between over the years for LASK. However, the club won the Austrian Cup as recently as the 2020-21 season.
Sturm Graz’s last Austrian Cup win was in 2017-18.
Sturm Graz and LASK have been victims of Salzburg’s rise and dominance of the Austrian football league and cup. One of the two sides could benefit from Salzburg being eliminated from the cup tournament.
LASK go into the semifinal unbeaten in their last five road games in the Bundesliga. They went to Graz earlier this season in the league and posted a 1-0 away win.
Coach Dietmar Kühbauer will be without defender Yannis Letard and forward Tobias Anselm. Both players are recovering from ACL injuries. Midfielder Thomas Goiginger could play after recovering from an illness.
Sturm coach Christian Ilzer will be without midfielder Mortiz Wels due to a knee injury. Defender Gregory Wuthrich and midfielder Jakob Jantscher are both in line to return from their injuries.
LASK are unbeaten in three straight games versus Sturm. They went to Graz in the league and won 1-0 earlier this season. LASK should claim a narrow win in the cup semifinal and progress to the final against either Rapid Wien or Ried.