First Glimpse of a "Different Ercan Kara"?

A night, three goals - a striker would hardly leave the pitch dissatisfied. Even if the opponent was "only" Santa Coloma.

And even then, when Ercan Kara "only" had to finish after good combinations from his Rapid teammates.

"Tap-in goals are the easiest, but the most beautiful," he grinned, considering his efficiency. He had not yet scored a hat-trick in green-white before.

"A striker lives for goals, goals build confidence," the 30-year-old noted, establishing a good foundation for the Bundesliga season start, especially with Tonni Adamsen and the convalescent Claudy Mbuyi competing for a spot up front.

"I will sleep well tonight," "Erci" was sure, even at a late hour.

Praise for his Work

He also received special praise from his coach.

"It was a great evening for him," Johannes Hoff Thorup knew what three goals mean for a striker. But he didn't solely base his praise on the statistics.

"His work rate and how much he offered the team when he was needed. Running back and fighting for second balls, counter-pressing, all of that," the Dane said, thanking his lone striker for his performance that day.

He was convinced: "We are currently seeing a different Ercan Kara. He came back in much better shape for pre-season and was really strong from day one."

Praise for Team Spirit

He will desperately need Kara in this form as opponents become more formidable. Rapid, along with their first opponent of the new season, SCR Altach, had the weakest offense last season - scoring only 36 goals.

To achieve that, Kara will need preparations to function just as well as they did on this European Cup evening. That's why Hoff Thorup couldn't limit his praise solely to the hat-trick scorer.

"Other players also ran a lot. We are now playing a demanding style. That's why we are rotating so much right now, because none of them will be able to run at the desired tempo for 90 minutes three times a week," he explained.

"But I am satisfied today. It also shows the good energy within the squad. They want to fight for each other. And as a coach, it's the best thing to see."