210,000 spectators, 26 goals, nine victories: The LASK season at the Raiffeisen Arena

Approximately 210,000 spectators flocked to the 16 league home games at the Raiffeisen Arena, resulting in an average attendance of more than 13,000 fans per game. In 14 matches, over 10,000 tickets were sold, and on five occasions, over 15,000 supporters witnessed a match at LASK's home ground.

The highest attendance was recorded during the first Linz derby since 1997 against Blau-Weiß (2-0), with 19,080 visitors packing the Raiffeisen Arena to capacity. The clash last Sunday against SK Sturm (2-2) also drew a significant crowd of 18,500. Equally impressive were the matches against Rapid with 17,000 and 16,790 spectators, respectively, as well as the encounter with Graz in the regular season, which attracted 15,900 fans to the stadium.

Total attendance: 209,220
Average per game: 13,076
Highest attendance: 19,080 (Blau-Weiß Linz, August 12, 2023, 2-0)

Not only in terms of atmosphere and fan support did the move to the new arena prove to be worthwhile, but also in sporting terms, the Athletiker quickly made themselves at home and presented a strong record in the current season. In the first nine home games, the team maintained a flawless record, remaining undefeated throughout the entire autumn.

In the end, there was a total record of nine wins and four draws, with three losses. In addition to scoring 26 goals, the Athletiker conceded only 12 goals in 16 matches, averaging 0.75 goals per game. Goalkeeper Tobias Lawal kept a clean sheet eight times, precisely half of all games, achieving this feat five times in a row from August to October 2023.

Overall Record: 16 games, 9 wins, 4 draws, 3 losses, Goals: 26:12

Especially towards the end of the season, LASK repeatedly showcased their class at the Raiffeisen Arena, treating the fans to numerous highlights. One such highlight was the 5-0 thrashing of SK Rapid on April 28, where the Athletiker equaled their highest victory against the Hütteldorfer in Bundesliga history, dating back to March 1998. Marin Ljubicic with a brace, Florian Flecker, Sascha Horvath with his first goal of the season, and Adil Taoui with his debut goal for the pros turned the stadium into a frenzy.

Another standout moment was the 3-1 victory over defending champions RB Salzburg. In Thomas Darazs' first game as head coach, Ljubicic scored a hat-trick, paving the way for LASK's first home victory over the Mozartstädter in six years. Against SK Sturm, the Linzers managed to defeat another top team in front of their home crowd, with a 3-1 win last November, courtesy of goals from Moses Usor, Filip Stojkovic, and Robert Zulj.

Match Highlights:

• Round 29, April 28, 2024: SK Rapid Wien - 5:0
• Round 26, April 12, 2024: RB Salzburg - 3:1
• Round 13, November 5, 2023: SK Sturm Graz - 3:1

LASK remained unbeaten at home against eight of the eleven Bundesliga rivals this season. They garnered the most points from SK Rapid, SK Sturm Graz, and SK Austria Klagenfurt. In two encounters with each of these teams, the Linzers collected four points with one win and one draw against all three.

SK Rapid: 4 points (5:0, 1:1)
SK Sturm Graz: 4 points (3:1, 2:2)
SK Austria Klagenfurt: 4 points (1:0, 2:2)

The Black and Whites found the net 26 times this season at the Raiffeisen Arena. Captain Robert Zulj led the scoring charts with eight goals, proving not only as the top scorer but also as a crucial contributor, as evidenced by his brace against Wiener Austria (2:0), crucial goals against Altach and Tirol (both 1:0), and his brace in the 2:2 draw against Austria Klagenfurt. Following closely behind is Marin Ljubicic, who particularly excelled in the championship group, scoring eight of his twelve season goals in the last six rounds. Three of those came in the 3:1 home win against Salzburg, followed by a brace at home against Rapid and a goal against Sturm.

Total: 26 goals
Robert Zulj: 8 goals
Marin Ljubicic: 6 goals
Florian Flecker: 3 goals

Tobias Lawal was the only LASK player to feature in all 16 matches for the full duration, accumulating over 1440 minutes in goal at the Raiffeisen Arena this year. Following closely behind were Andres Andrade, Marin Ljubicic, and Florian Flecker, who each appeared 15 times on the field of our stadium, with Andrade leading this trio with 1350 minutes. Moses Usor and Philipp Ziereis were the only ones to be without an appearance in two matches.

16 appearances: Tobias Lawal
15 appearances: Marin Ljubicic, Andres Andrade, Florian Flecker
14 appearances: Moses Usor, Philipp Ziereis

In addition to a run of five consecutive games without conceding a goal and an entire autumn season without defeat, the Athletiker also made their mark with other impressive streaks. In the most recent five home games, they scored at least one goal each time, achieving three consecutive wins twice: on matchdays three, five, and six against Blau-Weiß, Austria Wien, and Austria Lustenau (each 2-0), as well as in October and November against Altach (1-0), Sturm Graz (3-1), and Tirol (1-0).

Clean sheets: 5 times in a row
Scored in consecutive games: 5 times in a row
Consecutive wins: 3 times in a row
Unbeaten streak: 9 times in a row"