LASK Linz v S Bratislava

You will not find a more comfortable European win than that all week. LASK were clinical, comfortable and professional right from the outset, as Slovan Bratislava lose their 12th straight game in the Champions League, and their fourth in a row by a margin of 3+ goals. It is a damning statistic, but LASK don’t care, as they move into the seeded knockout places in 15th, with their second win of the league phase. Jorgensen got the scoring started in the first half with a stooping 19th minute header, followed by a wonderful low free-kick after 37 minutes. Ljubicic added a third on the stroke of half-time, stabbing home a corner. It looked all set to get very, very ugly indeed for the Slovakians after the break, and when Adeniran blasted a stunner into the roof of Popovic’s net within three second half minutes, Toure would have been fearing the worst. But Bratislava did manage to find a foothold in the game for the final half-an-hour, perhaps as LASK took their foot off the gas. The home side finished with a staggering 4.69 xG, 29 shots and 10 on target, compared to 0.47 xG and seven shots for the visitors. LASK’s impressive start to the Champions League campaign continues with a trip to the Arctic Circle and Bodo Glimt at the end of November, as they look to secure a play-off spot. For Toure and Bratislava, it is the visit of Manuel Pellegrini, Isco and Real Betis, as they look to get their first point of the league phase, with the help of their home crowd. That’s all from Austria, thank you for following and we’ll see you next time!

FULL TIME: LASK 4-0 SLOVAN BRATISLAVA

Kalajdzic misses a sitter!! Andrade sees a deflected, looping effort come back off the crossbar and into the path of the big Austrian striker, who stoops to head the ball in from a matter of yards out, but he can only crash the ball onto the face of the post and it cannons back out. Camara then does some diligent defending for the visitors to prevent Kalajdzic being slipped through by Danek.

Bogarde has contested 11 duels today, winning six of them. The Suriname midfielder has also had the most touches in the game (88) and completed the most passes (68). He has run the show today, mostly operating in that inside left channel.

Another flowing LASK attack doesn't quite end in a goal as Schopf and Kalajdzic combine down the left but the the latter's effort deflects and rolls harmlessly into the hands of Popovic. Bratislava have actually looked a bit brighter going forward themselves since the latest wave of substitutions, but it is far too little too late for the Slovakians.

81'

Substitution

The captain, Horvath, is replaced by Schopf in midfield for the final 10 minutes.