Austria Wien wins first leg in Jurmala against FK Liepaja 2:0

The first notable chance fell to Austria captain Manfred Fischer, who narrowly missed the crossbar with a header from a corner. The visitors continued to enjoy a territorial advantage without producing clear-cut finishes. The Latvians relied primarily on long balls and counter-punches through their striker Ede Oloko, who created danger in front of the Vienna goal on several occasions.

Wustinger rescues Vienna just before the break

The decisive moment before halftime was delivered by Florian Wustinger. The midfielder used a turn inside the box and hammered the ball under the crossbar. It was the "can opener" in a match in which Austria had to remain patient for long stretches. Shortly afterward, Johannes Eggestein narrowly missed making it 2-0 with a turn and shot that drifted past the far post.

After the break, the Viennese increased the pressure, and the substitutions introduced by coach Stephan Helm paid off. Just five minutes after coming on, Moritz Wels extended the lead: after a setup by Eggestein, the substitute striker initially failed with his first attempt but reacted smartly to slot the ball low into the bottom left corner. For the 23-year-old, it was his first competitive goal for the Violets' first team after three cruciate ligament tears and a year and a half of injury layoff, which he had ended with a comeback in April.

Wels crowns his comeback with maiden goal

Austria increasingly controlled the match thereafter but found it difficult to consistently exploit the spaces that opened up. A curious moment occurred in the 74th minute when Wels unintentionally blocked teammate Matteo Schablas' shot on the line, preventing a 3-0. Substitute Julian Hettwer, another new signing, similarly blocked a shot instead of leaving a clear path to the almost empty goal.

The closing stages then belonged to the hosts, who took on more risk as the game wore on. Ede Oloko appeared dangerously in front of the Vienna goal in the 78th minute, and in the 89th minute youngster Valentin Toifl, making his competitive debut, rescued the Violets from conceding by clearing off the line. The match thus ended in a 2-0 away victory.

Curious double play: Austria blocks its own shot twice

Compared to the final friendly against Paksi from Hungary (4-1), coach Helm had deployed two new signings, Ibrahim Buhari and Jonas Feddersen, in the defensive back three. Sahin-Radlinger guarded the goal, with Buhari, Lee, and Dragovic operating behind him. In attack, Markovic was among those used, making way for Hettwer after an hour. Eggestein, one of the most active players in Austria's performance, was replaced by Maybach in the 72nd minute.

In foreign media, the Latvians' performance was described as remarkable. The Latvian fifth-placed team presented itself in the spartan home stadium as a "better-than-expected opponent" and sold itself dearly against the favorites. Liepaja had, however, been forced to relocate to the Baltic Sea resort because the pitch at their own stadium had been rendered unplayable by a rock concert. This unusual home venue contributed to the unusual atmosphere.

Reactions: Fischer and Helm draw positive conclusions

Captain Manfred Fischer gave a sober analysis after the final whistle: "Wir sind ein bisschen überrascht worden vom Gegner, wie sie uns Mann auf Mann angelaufen sind. Aber gegen diese Mannschaften ist es einfach wichtig, dass du dein Spiel 90 Minuten durchziehst." Coach Helm was also satisfied with the result but pointed to the closing stages as a learning field: "Grundsätzlich denke ich, dass wir uns eine gute Ausgangsposition fürs Rückspiel geschaffen haben. Ich denke, dass das Spiel allgemein für uns ein Schritt in die richtige Richtung war. Wir haben es nicht so schlecht gemacht, aber wo wir lernen müssen, sind die letzten zehn Minuten."

Outlook: Return leg on Thursday against Liepaja

With the 2-0 victory, the Viennese have created an excellent starting position for the return leg on Thursday, July 30. If they advance from the second qualifying round, Austria would face AEK Larnaca or Beitar Jerusalem in the next round. The draw thus promises further attractive opponents in the battle for a place in the Conference League group stage.