Isak finds oil in Graz

La Real will return from Graz with a triumph of as enormous value as gray was in its achievement. A goal from Alexander Isaac, with the enormous collaboration of the goalkeeper, he put on the scoreboard the first European victory for the txuri urdin, who, eminently superior to Sturm, did not have enough brilliance to make it a more resounding victory. The Austrian team, limited, hardly made Real suffer beyond corner kicks and side fouls and the Blue and Whites return with three gold points that put them fully in the fight for the European classification.

Real did not feel comfortable at any time in the first half, although they took sufficient advantage of a game with a lot of back and forth, friction and electricity to have scored a goal. Sturm Graz did not take prisoners from the beginning and that led to a game without control in which the Austrians imposed greater strength in the duels but in which the technical quality of the Real allowed them to find enough spaces. It lacked success.

Like Isak in the 8th minute when, inside the area and somewhat heeled, he chose to shoot to break repelling the goalkeeper. It took twenty minutes for the txuri urdin team to give another warning, with a Merino header from the home brand at the near post in a corner. The Sturm also managed to play insistently in the Real field. Their two points, very annoying, generated alternatives but at most they caused a corner or lateral foul, the Real did not suffer positionally in defense or were overcome by the Austrian game.

Nor did he have too much clairvoyance and his best options were the result of individual actions such as the one that closed the first part, a good summary of what was seen. Isak went into space with a spectacular reverse to a defender letting the ball pass and his death pass to Silva, with the outside, wasted by the canary finishing with his right leg over the crossbar.

Sturm Graz under the piston of their siege at the beginning of the second half which favored the best minutes of the Real who, under Silva’s baton, could caress the ball in the rival field. Merino headed to the post a lateral free kick taken by Januzaj on foot changed and only four minutes later, in the 51 ‘, Aihen appeared in the area only to unleash a left-footed shot that Siebenhandl repelled with a great hand. A too choppy header from Le Normand that Isak could not clinch in a corner on 62 ‘was Real’s last option before Silva left.

With Sorloth on the field, there was not much room to see what the plan gave of itself since only seven minutes after the Norwegian entered, Isak scored the 0-1 with the enormous collaboration of the goalkeeper, although the Norwegian participated. The Swede received from Sorloth in the area and his low indoor shot, which went to the long post, hit a defender and got between the legs of the Austrian goalkeeper in a huge error. The goal came in the most peculiar way but it was a fair reward for what was put forward by Real, especially with their control in the second half.

The world stopped after Real’s goal. Sturm had problems assimilating it and compromising the txuri urdin, who did not show too much ambition in seeking the second goal, which allowed them to take the match to their shore, without anything happening, although always with the uncertainty that the 0-1 gave . The Sturm exhibited enough deficiencies to believe that the 0-1 was not in danger and, in addition, they were left with ten in the final stretch for a very poorly measured by Stankovic to Lobete. His contribution was limited to a series of direct shipments to the area that were resolved without problems by a Real who, in addition, was about to close the game in a big way with a long shot from Beñat Turrientes in 94 ‘.

Sturm Graz: Siebenhandl; Gazibegovic (Sarkaria, m. 72), Affengruber, Wüthrich, Dante, Stankovic, Kuen (Gierhofer, m. 66), Prass (Hierlander, m. 38), Niangbo (Ljubic, m. 66), Jantscher y Yeboa (Jager, m. 72).

Real society: Remiro: Gorosabel (Zaldua, m. 61), Zubeldia, Le Normand, Aihen; Zubimendi (Guevara, m. 18), Merino, Silva (Sorloth, m. 61); Portu, Januzaj (Turrientes, m. 76) and Isak (Lobete, m. 76).

Goals: 0-1: Isak (art. 68).

Referee: Tobias Stieler. Yellow to Stankovic, Gorosabel, Le Normand, Zubeldia, Guevara. He sent off Stankovic for a double yellow in the 86th minute.

Estadio: Stadium Graz-Liebenau.

see match file