Archive for August, 2024
Conference League Draw
SK Rapid have been drawn from pot 3 and now have learned their six opponents of the League phase
Rapid was knocked out in the Europa League play-off by Braga losing 1-2 away and drawing 2-2 at home.
Rapid will play Copenhagen (Denmark), Shamrock Rovers (Ireland) and Noah Jerewan from Armenia (H) as well as Istanbul Basaksehir (Turkey), Omonoia Nikosia (Cyprus) and Petrocub Hincesti from Moldava (A).
And this is how the new European league format works:
In the Conference League only six matches are played contrary to Champions League and Europa League (8 games)
Fixtures will be played:
3 and 24 October, 7 and 28 November, 12 and 19 December
15 years ago today
… Peter Pacult taught the boys to play – and Aston Villa’s nightmare against Rapid Vienna began.
On August 20, 2009, Rapid and the Villans met in the first leg of the Europa League play-off at Rapid’s Hanappi Stadium. Rapid scored a very quick goal immediately after the kick-off through Nikica Jelavic’s header.
I remember that I celebrated much too enthusiastic by spilling my beer onto the floor of the former North Stand, second tier, our favourite stand in Rapid’s old ground where my friend Alfred and I usually were sitting. I also remember that Nigel Reo-Coker, the former West Ham skipper who now played for Aston Villa, made a bad foul which annoyed me so much that I started swearing at him.
But apart from that there was nothing to be annoyed, but very much to be amazed: The score remained 1-0 and Rapid travelled to Birmingham with a narrow lead and the chance to reach the Europa League group stage which was played this season (2009/10) for the first time.
The second leg in Birmingham was lost 1-2 by Rapid, but thanks to their away goal, scored again by Croatian striker Jelavic, the “green-whites” qualified for the group stage. Manager Peter Pacult called it his „most beautiful defeat“, and there was more beauty to come: Rapid started their Europa League group matches with an emphatic 3-0 home win over Hamburger SV and a brave 1-1 draw away against Celtic Glasgow.
The next season saw Rapid and Aston Villa paired together again and the nightmare returned for Aston Villa. This time the first leg in Vienna ended 1-1. Therefore this time a defeat at Villa’s ground would not be enough and really the unexpected happened: manager Peter Pacult’s men this time won away courtesy of goals by Atde Nuhiu (who had also scored Rapid’s goal in the first leg), Mario Sonnleitner and Rene Gartler.
Hence the hero of 2009, Nikica Jelavic, wasn’t missed. He had gone on strike to force a transfer to Glasgow Rangers which eventually took place; later he played for Everton, Hull City and West Ham.
This season Aston Villa has qualified for the Champions League for the first time, and Rapid is in the Europa League play-off against SC Braga.
Come on you boys in green!
Traumstart in die 3. Liga …
…für Dynamo Dresden. Nach dem verpassten Aufstieg in die Zweite Bundesliga startete Dynamo Dresden mit zwei Siegen in die neue Saison, zuerst 2:1 auswärts gegen Viktoria Köln und dann ein spektakulärer 4:2 „coming from behind“ Heimsieg gegen Cottbus!
Und im DFB Cup am Sonntag schlug die SG Dynamo die in der 2. Bundesliga spielende Fortuna Düsseldorf mit 2:0 (1:0) und stieg in die zweite Runde auf!
Zwei Niederlagen für Claret and Blue…
…innerhalb von drei Tagen – was mich allerdings nur in einem Fall störte!
Der SK Rapid spielte in der 3. Quali-Runde für die Europa League gegen den Dritten der türkischen Liga, Trabzonspor. Die Klubfarben des 1967 gegründeten Klubs sind die selben wie jene von West Ham Utd: weinrot und hellblau = claret and blue.
Und ebenso wie West Ham gestern, Samstag, als Verlierer vom Platz ging (1:2 gegen Champions League-Starter Aston Villa), so mussten sich auch die türkischen “clarets” zwei Tage vorher geschlagen geben. Der SK Rapid zog mit einem 2:0-Sieg und einem Gesamtscore von 3:0 souverän in das Europa League-Playoff ein.
West Ham verpatzte die Pflichtspielpremiere des neuen Cheftrainers Julen Lopetegui und musste schon in der 4. Minute das 0:1 nach einem schlecht verteidigten Corner hinnehmen, und dann fiel in der Schlussphase des Spiels das 1:2 und es gelang nicht mehr der Ausgleich wie nach dem 0:1 (Elfmeter durch Paquetá). Nächste Woche geht es auswärts gegen Crystal Palace, dann zu Hause gegen Meister Manchester City. Kein einfacher Saisonstart…
Und keinen einfachen Gegner hat Rapid nun für das Europa League-Playoff erwischt: es geht gegen SC Braga aus Portugal, den Vierten der „Liga Portugal“, der sich in der letzten EL-Qualifikationsrunde mit 0:0/2:1 gegen Servette Genf durchsetzte. Zuerst spielen die Grün-Weißen in Portugal, das Rückspiel ist dann wieder, wie gegen Tranzonspor, in Hütteldorf.
Hoffen wir, dass die Rapid-Fans nach dem Heimspiel wieder so jubeln können, wie letzten Donnerstag:
▶️ www.instagram.com/reel 👍🏼 💪🏻
▶️ www.instagram.com/reel/2 🇳🇬
Premier League is back!
display which underlined that they will go for an other challenge of reigning champions ManCity once again (goal scorers Havertz and Saka).
West Ham though didn’t get off to a flying start:
Steve Sidwell, BBC: “There have been glimpses for West Ham and they will only get better the more time Lopetegui has to spend with them.”
„Wien-West-Hüttel-Dorf!“
Rapid ist wieder in Europa!
2:0 (0:0) – Heimsieg gegen Trabzonspor! (3:0 agg.). Tore: Seidl, Lang.
EXTRA TIME 
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