Rapid Vienna reject added pressure claim vs Hearts as Conference League foes praise 'high quality' Jambos
Hearts proved tough opposition for their Austrian opponents in the Conference League.
Rapid Vienna boss Johannes Hoff Thorup insists his players will not crumble under the pressure of their own fans in leg two of their Conference League play-off with Hearts.
The Austrian side and Wouter Vrancken’s Jambos played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at Tynecastle with next Wednesday’s second leg to decide who reaches this year’s play-off. After a draw away from home in leg one, Rapid fans will head to the Allianz Stadion in expectancy, after an unbeaten start to the campaign.
Head coach Vrancken’s side won’t make it easy though after showing they were more than a match for their opponents, particularly in the second half, where Hearts put their Austrian Bundesliga opposition under sustained pressure. Hoff Thorup dismissed suggestions that playing in front of their own supporters will create additional pressure for Rapid during the return fixture, insisting fans can make a major difference in spurring on his players next Wednesday.
How will Rapid Vienna cope vs Hearts in second leg of Conference League tie?
The Rapid head coach said: “No, I think we like it. We like playing in our stadium where we have a really good connection with our fans and the way they support us. The fan culture is a little bit different and they support the team in a different way and are really behind us for 90 minutes. I think we have shown in the last couple of weeks that it’s something we can really use in games as it gives us an extra 10 or 15 per cent of energy.”
Hoff Thorup added on the game: "The first half was very good. We limited them and had two good chances even before our goal. I'm only disappointed with the 15 minutes in the second half. That's when the momentum and the atmosphere in the stadium changed. We didn't move the ball well enough (in the second half). It was easy for them to steal the ball and put pressure on us. Especially when there's pressure from the stands, you have to keep possession of the ball."
Rapid captain Matthias Seidl meanwhile praised the quality that the Jambos possessed in the clash. He said: "Our opponents are very high quality. We didn't start too badly. After the break, they were really strong. It was important that we came back, stayed calm on the ball, and played bravely going forward. The 2-2 equalizer was crucial. Of course, we wanted to take a win to make the starting position for the second leg easier. But it's not a walk in the park."
Goalkeeper Nikolaus Hedl commented: “This match will stay in our memories for a long time; the atmosphere was fantastic. Unfortunately, the result wasn't; we would have liked to go home with a win. But with a 2-2 draw, nothing is lost. Now it's time to recover and then give it our all again on Wednesday. The chance is still alive."
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