All a Question of Efficiency?
Driven by their home fans, Graz created significantly more shots. What was missing, however, was the final punch: Seedy Jatta headed over (28'), Emran Soglo curled wide (30'), and captain Jon Gorenc Stankovic put too little power behind a header (38').
"The chances were there, but we also have to convert them. That was the main issue today," Malic highlighted regarding their own chance conversion.
Even after the half-time break, they dominated the play at the start. Twice Kayombo missed good crosses at the last moment (48'/51').
"We actually had the momentum on our side," Ingolitsch praised his team's performance.
Talisca Destroys All Hopes
But exactly this momentum shifted in the 65th minute. The faultless Petrovic, until then, fouled striker Anderson Talisca during an attempt to clear, resulting in a penalty for the visitors. The fouled player stepped up and remained cool.
"The penalty pulled the plug on us. That's why we're out. But I'm really proud of my team. I can't fault them for anything, quite the opposite," the coach emphasized the performance.
Wir haben alles versucht. Da geht es nicht um fehlende Entschlossenheit. Fußball ist auch ein Stück weit Zufall, manchmal fällt der Ball zu dir und manchmal eben nicht.
Thus, the favorite calmly saw out the result in the end. Substitute Belmin Beganovic still had a good opportunity, but he too was denied by goalkeeper Mert Günok. The Turkish shot-stopper frustrated Sturm's attack similarly to how he did the ÖFB team in the Round of 16 at EURO 2024.
"We tried everything. It's not about a lack of determination. Football is also a bit of a coincidence; sometimes the ball falls to you, and sometimes it doesn't. The fact is, they scored a goal and we didn't. It was already like that in the first leg," said the head coach.
"If you look at both games, Fenerbahce's progression was also deserved," Ingolitsch praised the opponent, who will now face Olympique Lyon in the playoff.
Sturm, on the other hand, will play in the league phase of the UEFA Europa League in the autumn and can still meet calibers such as AC Milan, Juventus Turin, or Bayer Leverkusen there.
The Young Guns
For Ingolitsch, this is not a consolation prize, but an opportunity for his young team: "As a club, we also fit well into the Europa League. That's not easy for an Austrian club. We had an average age of 21.5 years. I don't know when Sturm ever had a younger team on the field."
And it was precisely this youth that offered hope against Fenerbahce. Luca Weinhandl, at 17, played calmly and flawlessly in midfield – and that against players like N'Golo Kanté or Matteo Guendouzi.
"The Europa League is something beautiful. This will be a cool season with the team," said the youngster.
Back to League Routine
Jacob-Peter Hödl also showed against Fenerbahce that he isn't intimidated by big names. "I don't care who is in front of me. No matter how many times I fall, I will continue to go one-on-one and destroy my opponent with my dribbling," Hödl confidently stated.
But now, the "daily bread" of the ADMIRAL Bundesliga awaits once again. On Saturday, SCR Altach comes to Graz-Liebenau. An opponent against whom the game will probably look very different than against Fenerbahce.
