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Sturm Graz Boost Champions League Hopes

Bobby Richmond

November 28, 2024 · 1 min read

FootBall | November 28, 2024

Sturm Graz kept their Champions League play-off hopes alive with a 1-0 victory over Girona, securing their first win of the campaign. Mike Biereth’s decisive 58th-minute goal proved enough to lift the Austrian champions above Girona in the standings, as both teams now share a record of one win and four defeats.

Girona’s Ivan Martin missed an open goal from one yard, tangling his feet after Bryan Gil’s deflected cross

Biereth slots home the winner for Sturm after Gazzaniga’s save spills into his path

The miss proved costly for the Spanish side. Girona’s keeper Gazzaniga spilled Jatta’s shot, allowing Biereth to score Sturm Graz’s second Champions League goal, their first non-own goal

Graz held firm for the remainder of the match, becoming only the second Austrian team to defeat a La Liga side in the competition’s history. The first was RB Salzburg, who beat Sevilla 1-0 in December 2021.

This victory gives Sturm Graz a chance to finish in the top 24 of the group stage and advance to the play-offs, despite losing their first four matches.

Girona will rue their missed chances, especially Martin’s error, which could have turned the game in their favor. Instead, their defeat highlights the high cost of mistakes in Europe’s elite competition, leaving them in a precarious position as the group stage nears its conclusion.