Sturm Graz took three points from Hartberg on Saturday evening, closing out a 2-1 victory in the Bundesliga's second round. The visitors held firm after N. Weiper's late strike, seeing out the match despite a period of pressure when K. Schopp was sent off in the sixtieth minute. By then the game had already swung in their favour.
The turning point came when Schopp picked up his second yellow and faced the red card, leaving Hartberg to defend for the final thirty minutes. Weiper made the most of the numerical advantage, slotting home in the eighty-first minute to put the result beyond doubt. The hosts tightened things up after that, but the deficit was too great to recover.
Sturm Graz dominated possession at 54 per cent and created more from their attacks, registering 111 compared to Hartberg's 72. They also recorded 14 key passes against 3, showing a clear difference in how freely they could move the ball. Hartberg managed only two shots on target to their opponents' five, and those chances went begging when it mattered most.
The statistics tell a straightforward story — many shots with one goal means chances went begging. Sturm Graz completed 299 passes to Hartberg's 246, and their 4 big chances created versus zero speaks for itself. The hosts made more clearances and tackles, but that was a reaction to being on the back foot for long periods.
Hartberg sit sixth with six points from five games, while Sturm Graz move up to fourth on eight points. The result ends Hartberg's run of one win in their last two league outings and extends Sturm's unbeaten form. Both sides have five matches under their belts, but the gap in the table tells the real story.