Rapid shows the right reaction - "We've eaten so much shit"

"It shows a lot about us as a team"

Against physically strong Graz opponents, it was also necessary, as Rapid coach Johannes Hoff Thorup already knew beforehand.

"We knew it would be a physically tough game. Therefore, we had to find moments in the game where we could play our football. Generally speaking, I cannot be dissatisfied. There was a lot of good, especially in terms of character. That makes me happy," says the Dane after the match.

He further adds: "To come back like this after Wednesday was great. It shows a lot about us as a team, where we currently stand."

"That's football"

For Niklas Hedl, the opening phase was particularly crucial: "We knew how Sturm plays. Especially in the first few minutes, we held our own really well. Through that, we tried to pull the game to our side."

The keeper himself has experienced several highs and lows both personally and with the team at Rapid, so he also knows how things work at Rapid.

"I believe that's the only positive thing about the whole situation, that we've eaten so much shit so many times. Every single one of us, myself included. That's football. It goes from game to game," says the 25-year-old.

Two players who embody Rapid's reaction are Marco Tilio and Moulaye Haidara. On Wednesday, they were the ones who failed to convert their penalties against Hearts. Against Sturm, both were in the starting XI and were able to make their mark on the game.

Haidara won a penalty as early as the third minute, which Yusuf Demir converted for an early lead. And Tilio, after a fine assist from Tonni Adamsen, scored to make it 2-1 in the 17th minute.

"To see how they played today makes me happy on behalf of the team and on behalf of both of them, because it says a lot about who you are as a player when you can pick yourself up like they both did four days after the disappointment on Wednesday," says Hoff Thorup about the two.

"That's not how you get into the starting XI"

However, the coach did not justify starting the two penalty misses against Sturm by saying he wanted to cheer them up.

"It has nothing to do with Wednesday. We needed players who can move quickly from one side to the other to put pressure on the opponent's man-marking. Not because they missed a couple of penalties. That's not how you get into the starting XI," says Hoff Thorup.

Three Away Games in a Row

From Rapid's perspective, the reaction after the European exit was also important because things won't get easier in the coming weeks.

With three away games in a row, the first up is Wednesday's rescheduled match against Red Bull Salzburg, who are gaining momentum. Then a difficult cup match awaits against Austria Klagenfurt, before Rapid has to play against WAC again a week later in Carinthia.

Before the long international break, there will be one more home game against WSG Tirol, and by then, those in Western Vienna will know what's possible this season.