Sturm with Herculean Effort: "No one can beat us at home"

Sturm Graz managed to secure a 2:2 draw against SV Ried after a turbulent match (to the match report>>>).

The week for the "Blackies" was a rollercoaster of emotions. After the game, there was disappointment over the lost points, but also appreciation for the team's morale.

Top scorer Seidl: "We could have won"

Sturm had a good start and created several opportunities in the first half. Simon Seidl eventually put the Graz side 1-0 up with his first league goal for Sturm. From the perspective of the league's top scorer (eight goals and one assist this season), Sturm could have already had a larger lead at that point.

"I believe we could have won the game because we had many chances in the first half," Seidl said after the match on "Sky." While they could be satisfied with the point in the end, given the opportunities, more could have been achieved.

Ingolitsch also expressed satisfaction with his team's start: "We started the game incredibly well. It was simply a joy to watch my team." Sturm had many shots on goal and initially controlled the game. From his perspective, the opening goal could have come even earlier.

Red Card and Penalty Turn the Tide

The decisive turning point came with the sending off of Arjan Malic. Ingolitsch saw it as an unnecessary action that put Sturm in a difficult situation. Only a short time later, SV Ried was awarded a penalty after a handball in the box. Philipp Pomer converted it for the 1-1 equalizer.

"We then, of course, put ourselves in a difficult position with an action by Archie (Arjan Malic, Ed. note)," Ingolitsch explained at the post-match press conference. He would leave it to others to decide if the sending-off was too harsh. However, he was annoyed not only that Malic had done his team a disservice in this match, but also that he would be suspended and absent in the near future.

After the break, Ried utilized their numerical advantage and took a 2-1 lead through Alexander Kiese Thelin. Ingolitsch was convinced that the match would have unfolded differently without the sending-off. In his view, Ried would have had no chance playing eleven against eleven. Sturm had had their opponents under control until then and was on track to win the game.

Beganovic Equalizes Late

Despite being behind, Sturm did not give up. The Graz team remained active and managed to equalize in the final phase: former Ried player Belmin Beganovic scored to make it 2-2. It was his second league goal for Sturm this season.

"We wanted to get at least one point, even after the red card," Beganovic said. At halftime, Ingolitsch had told the team to stick together as a unit. The team implemented that, the Bosnian said on "Sky."

However, Beganovic was not entirely satisfied with the draw, as Sturm had wanted to win. But after the sending-off, it was important to keep fighting and at least take home a point.

Ingolitsch: "We would have scored another goal"

Fabio Ingolitsch also emphasized at the press conference that his team had not fallen into a victim role despite being a man down. Sturm continued to try to actively shape the game and was rewarded late for it.

"We didn't bury our heads in the sand," the coach said. Instead, the team remained courageous. After the equalizer, Ingolitsch even felt that more would have been possible: "I have the feeling that if we had played another three minutes, we would have scored a goal."

In the end, it remained 2-2, which means Sturm remains undefeated at home this league season. Ingolitsch: "No one can beat us at home."

It's not about three points, but about advancing to the Cup quarter-finals for Sturm this coming Thursday away against Austria Lustenau (from 6:00 PM in the LIVE-TICKER >>>).

Fabio Ingolitsch will also not be on the bench, alongside the red-card suspended Malic.

The Sturm coach received a red card after the final whistle against Ried for criticizing the referee >>>