Sit back and enjoy: Rapid's coach rarely had that luxury

Is there actually any occasion for criticism when your own team wins 8-0?

"Yes, but that's not important today," even for Johannes Hoff Thorup, being soberly analytical wasn't central – after SK Rapid had just achieved their biggest victory in 41 years under his leadership (to the match report >>>).

"It was the first time in my coaching career that I could simply lean back at times and enjoy my football team," such a match progression was a novelty for the coach as well. Previously, his FC Nordsjaelland's 7-1 win over Ludogorets Razgrad in 2023 was the biggest victory of his career.

Always forward this time

Enjoying it also comes easy when, from the twelfth minute and the second goal onwards at the latest, there's no longer any doubt about how the match will end.

While Rapid's recent problem of "killing" a game with a second goal was in focus, the matter was settled even quicker against a helpless GAK.

The coach was all the more impressed that the team remained on the offensive. Not only after the early decision, but also after the half-time break with three more goals.

"I was very satisfied with the start of the second half, because we pushed them back and picked up where we left off in the first half. That was very, very good in many respects."

Ultimately, progress as a team can only succeed "if we really use every minute of the game."

Stay hungry

Ercan Kara, who already had two goals to his name early on, stood as a symbol of this hunger.

What do you do after such a personal early phase in a game? "Then you aim for the third," the now most successful goalscorer in the Allianz Stadion>>> finished the sentence.

"What's more important is how we performed, how we dominated and played. Especially at home, because that's what's expected. We are Rapid and we always have to perform like this at home."

Still hard to say

Only one thing became even more difficult than before: to correctly assess Rapid's current status.

What applied to the first seven games, applied no less to GAK: the opponent was not the ultimate test. Especially in this condition, which over 90 minutes wouldn't even have deserved the label "Bundesliga-ready."

The neutral observer should certainly be delighted that, not long before Rapid, Heart of Midlothian also staged a high-scoring dress rehearsal with a 6-2 win over Inverness. If both teams confirm these signs on Thursday, it will be a spectacular encounter in the Conference League playoff.

Let others start the hype train

From now on at the latest, expectation management is called for Hoff Thorup, especially when the opponents step up in class.

"We cannot influence expectations, they are set by others. So that's not in our heads," the Dane didn't want to dwell on it.

"For us, only what we do together as a team every day is important. How we train, push ourselves, bring competition into training, and then perform in games. And there haven't only been good moments in the games so far."

The difficult moments will still come – but on the evening of the emphatic victory, they are not an issue. And Austrian football can only hope that they won't be after the next two matches against the Scots either.