Three points from the first three rounds aren't enough to satisfy the Athletiker, although this tally doesn’t reflect their performances so far. “Points-wise, it’s too little, but the performances have been something we can build on,” said Darazs, adding, “We congratulate Salzburg, but we're not hanging our heads because we know we're just at the beginning of a journey.”

Speaking of the journey, things are moving quickly for LASK. On Thursday, they face FCSB Bucharest in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League play-offs (7:00 PM), followed by a visit to Austria Vienna on Sunday (5:00 PM). Just four days later, the return match in Romania takes place, and the hectic schedule wraps up with a home game against Wolfsberger AC on September 1st. “We believe we can manage this well with our training regimen. I always enjoyed playing twice a week; that’s what we’re here for, that’s what we train for,” said Darazs, dismissing concerns about the potential for overload. Lawal is also looking forward to the European match: “We’re heading into the play-offs against Bucharest with confidence, and we’re all excited to continue our international journey.”

Match Report

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