Sturm Graz thrashes Heart of Midlothian 4-0, eyes Champions League

In the 34th minute, Mitchell made a rough error in playing out from the back, but Alexandros Kyziridis was unable to take advantage. Shortly after, in the 37th minute, Hungarian referee Gergo Bogar initially pointed to the penalty spot following an incident, but reversed his decision after a VAR review, without any notable protests from the Graz camp. Sturm went into the dressing rooms with a narrow but deserved 1-0 lead.

Nine minutes that turn the game

After the break, Otar Kiteishvili, who had initially started on the bench due to persistent calf problems, came on for Seidl. Coach Fabio Ingolitsch, who had deliberately reshuffled his squad this summer, was rewarded with an impact substitution: from the 50th minute onward, Sturm converted nearly every chance that came their way within nine minutes.

First, it was Mitchell again, who made it 2-0 (50'). The 17-year-old Luca Weinhandl, deployed in central midfield alongside Gorenc Stankovic and Jacob Hödl, increased the lead to 3-0 just three minutes later (53'). Heil put the finishing touch in the 59th minute on his competitive debut in a Sturm shirt: his run ended with the 4-0 after a one-two with Weinhandl.

The celebrations in the stadium were huge, but the coach quickly called for focus. "Wir müssen das Ding jetzt über die Linie bringen," said Ingolitsch with a view to the second leg next Tuesday (28 July, 8:45 p.m., live on ORF1) at Tynecastle Park in Edinburgh. "Wenn wir es schaffen, vier Tore zu schießen, dann sie auch," he added, stressing that the team would take it extremely seriously.

Outlook: Fenerbahce beckons, Europa League awaits

With the clear home win, Sturm Graz is very close to advancing to the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Should they progress, they will face the winner of the tie between Fenerbahce Istanbul, who won their first leg at home 1-0 against Gornik Zabrze, and the Polish side. The loser of the entire path drops into the third qualifying round of the Europa League; the winner can plan on at least the Europa League league phase, which would secure the Styrians a second international foothold in the autumn – along with significant revenue in the millions of euros.

In personnel terms, the match in Liebenau sent a signal: not only was German U21 national striker Nelson Weiper, signed just the week before, brought on for a 20-minute appearance, but Szymon Wlodarczyk and Emran Soglo, both returning from loans, also featured in the starting XI. Heil celebrated his competitive debut, and youngster Weinhandl underlined his rising form with his goal. Coach Ingolitsch explained afterward that the summer had deliberately focused on "Atmosphäre und Teamhygiene," "so seien diesbezüglich in den vergangenen Wochen Spieler aussortiert worden."

Voices after the game

Ingolitsch had not necessarily expected the win to be so clear-cut in the end. "Wir hatten verrückte und fantastische Minuten, die das Spiel auf unsere Seite gebracht haben," said the coach from Salzburg. His team had struck "eiskalt" in what Heil described as a "brutal engen Partie." The largely tight encounter had shown that Sturm needed to be doubly covered for the tasks ahead: "Sollten wir es schaffen, und davon gehe ich nach dem heutigen Spielergebnis aus, im Herbst international zu spielen, werden wir auch jede Position doppelt besetzen müssen."

Injuries barely marred the evening. Jacob Hödl had to leave the field after a shot with a foot injury; no serious diagnosis was initially reported. Yellow cards were picked up on the Graz side by Gorenc Stankovic, and on the Hearts side by McEntee and Ba-Sy.

Among the roughly 1,300 traveling Hearts fans, who will vociferously support their team in Edinburgh, the disappointment was palpable. Coach Wouter Vrancken overhauled virtually his entire attacking department this summer, starting with the head coach, and must now organize a fightback after a clear home defeat in the second leg. Vrancken himself spoke after the game of a disappointing evening for his team.

Next steps: ÖFB Cup and second leg in Edinburgh

For Sturm, the action continues as early as Friday evening: in the first round of the ÖFB Cup, Ingolitsch's side travels to Seekirchen. After that, attention turns fully to the second leg in Edinburgh, where a mandatory win is needed to pave the way to the Champions League third qualifying round.

Sporting director Michael Parensen spoke of a "Multiplikator" for the young season. The 4-0 provides "Vertrauen und ein gutes Gefühl in der Mannschaft." Weinhandl also stressed in an interview that you have to take advantage of phases when things are going well: "Man muss die Phasen, wo es läuft, eben nutzen." The 17-year-old symbolically represents the blend of experience and irrepressible youth that Sturm intends to field this international season.

Overall, the performance underlines that Sturm Graz is once again pursuing European competition as a central milestone in the new season. With the clear win against Hearts, the momentum is now on the Styrians' side. If the second leg in Scotland meets expectations, not only the Champions League phase beckons, but also the financial security of a Europa League season in the autumn.

The second leg on 28 July (8:45 p.m., live on ORF1) will show whether Sturm actually takes the step into the Champions League third qualifying round – and thereby lays the foundation for a lucrative and sportingly demanding autumn.