Strong Start: Away Victory for New Manager

In his first match at the helm, interim coach Maximilian Ritscher opted for a 3-4-3 formation. Branko Jovicic and Melayro Bogarde were deployed on the flanks, with Maximilian Entrup leading the line. Robert Zulj and Krystof Danek occupied the half-spaces in the attacking trio. LASK got off to a dream start and nearly went ahead after just seven minutes. Robert Zulj was denied by a brilliant reflex save from Klagenfurt keeper Simon Spari following a clever pass from Sascha Horvath. Branko Jovicic pounced on the rebound, but his effort was too central to pose a real threat. Three minutes later, there was nothing Spari could do. Entrup cleverly used the outside of his boot to set up Horvath, who curled the ball past the onrushing goalkeeper and into the far corner – his first goal of the season for LASK.

Just three more minutes passed before the Black-and-Whites doubled their lead. A poor backpass from the hosts was pounced on by Entrup, who rounded Spari and calmly slotted home his ninth goal of the campaign to make it 2–0. However, what seemed like a comfortable advantage soon began to slip away. LASK lost control of the game as unforced errors crept in, and Klagenfurt gradually found their rhythm. The hosts were rewarded in the 31st minute when David Toshevski pulled one back, finishing unmarked from a Tobias Koch cutback. LASK keeper Tobias Lawal ensured the lead held until the break, producing a fine save to deny Toshevski a second with a curling effort six minutes later.

The second half began just as the first had – with a goal for the visitors. This time, it came from a wonderfully executed move: Hrvoje Smolcic played a perfectly weighted pass to the well-positioned Krystof Danek, who squared it for Maximilian Entrup. The in-form striker made no mistake, tapping in his tenth goal of the season to make it 3–1 in the 54th minute. With a two-goal cushion restored, LASK remained in control and dictated much of the play. The Black-and-Whites repeatedly carved out promising attacks with quick, precise passing, although the final touch occasionally lacked sharpness.

In the closing stages, substitute Florian Flecker made his mark. Having replaced Branko Jovicic, he surged into the box from the right and fired a powerful shot into the back of the net to seal the 4–1 win (84’). It was a successful debut for interim head coach Maximilian Ritscher, and LASK celebrated their fifth consecutive win – extending their unbeaten run against Austria Klagenfurt to 24 competitive matches.

SK Austria Klagenfurt – LASK 1:4 (1:2)
28 Black Arena, 2389, Referee Julian Weinberger
Goals: 0:1 Horvath (12.), 0:2 Entrup (15.), 1:2 Toshevski (31.), 1:3 Entrup (54.), 1:4 Flecker (84.)
Yellow Card: Coulibaly

Line-up LASK: Lawal (K) – Cisse, Andrade, Smolcic – Jovicic (81. Flecker), Horvath (86. Sulzner), Coulibaly, Bogarde (67. Bello) – Danek (67. Lang), Entrup (81. Adeniran), Zulj