After a 7-1 win over ASKÖ Oedt, LASK welcomed Romanian runners-up CFR Cluj for the second test match of the summer pre-season at the Vostalpine stadium.
Both teams felt each other in the opening minutes, but the guests from Romania entered the game a little better and had the first normal approaches to goal. Florian Flecker introduced the LASK to attack for the first time. Boben Matija cleared his header after a sensitive user from the second post headed into goal (16th). In response, Ardeen Andre scored a low shot from the edge of the penalty area (18′). In the 27th minute of the match, Marin Ljubicic caught everyone’s attention. After a throw pass from Robert Zulj, he went solo towards opposition goalkeeper Sava Raswan, rounded him and smashed the ball into the side netting. As Lask progressed and recorded long periods of possession, its way into the game was good. Kevin Lebersorger had a lot of green in front of the left wing in the 37th, moved into the penalty area and pushed the artificial leather into the keeper’s hands from an acute angle (37th). The visitors still scored the opening goal. After a precise corner, Matty Ily got up and headed the ball into the goal against the direction of Tobias Laval – the score was 0-1 at half-time (41′).
Head coach Thomas Taras made four changes at halftime. The visitors could have extended their lead after the break. After a mistake in Linz’s build-up play, Ardian Andre fired the ball over the crossbar (46′). Moments later, LASK saw a double chance. A Flecker shot from distance was saved (53′) and a deflected Kone shot went just wide (54′). In the 63rd minute of the game, Taras replaced the remaining seven players in the starting eleven.
In the second half the game was more varied and took place primarily in the midfield. Athletes rarely hit the opponent’s goal. A long-range shot towards the end was worth watching: youngster and summer newcomer Enis Safin bravely slotted the ball into the far corner from outside the penalty area to level the score at 1-1 (84th). All of the following attacking efforts went unrewarded and LASK were separated from Romanian runners-up CFR Cluj by a fair 1-1 draw in the second test match of the summer preparations.
rip: Initial (84.); Elijah (41.)
This is what Lask played: Laval (46. Bolster) – Bogarte (63. Wimhofer), Stojkovic (63. Geris), Smolczyk (63. Purcell), Lebersorger (63. Becker) – Horvath (63. Chaffin), Jovicic (46. Berisha) – Flecker (63. Copado), Zulj (46. Taoui), Usor (63. Pintor) – Ljubicic (46. Kone)
You can watch the game on Lask TV.
