LASK vs. Slovan Bratislava – News and Probable Lineups

Following their inaugural victory in the Champions League, LASK Linz seeks to secure a second win when they face off against last-placed Slovan Bratislava in Áustria on Tuesday.

Heading into their match at Raiffeisen Arena, LASK is positioned in the last qualifying spot, while Slovan appears set to finish without any points again.

Match overview

LASK’s third venture into the European Cup – and their first to proceed to the group phase – commenced with consecutive losses to AEK Athens and Liverpool. However, they finally managed to find the scoreboard in their latest outing.

After starting their campaign with no points in the initial two matches, Dietmar Kuhbauer’s side surprised Sporting in Lisbon, even after going behind at Estadio Alvalade.

LASK leveled things through Christoph Lang, then Sasa Kalajdzic and Krystof Danek found the net midway through the second half to secure a strong position.

Delivering a brilliant counter-attacking performance, the Austrian champions emerged victorious with a 3-2 scoreline, giving them a total of six goals across their last two Champions League fixtures.

Yet, Kuhbauer is acutely aware that his team has conceded first in all three league phase matches thus far, a trend that is certainly not sustainable for advancing to the knockout rounds.

Including their intense playoff victory against Celtic, Die Schwarz-Weissen have yet to record a clean sheet, and they have registered just one from 12 matches across all competitions since early September.

That did not stop them from securing a 2-1 victory over WSG Tirol in the Austrian Bundesliga on Saturday, although they currently find themselves in third, behind Red Bull Salzburg and the resurgent giants Rapid Vienna.

So far, Slovan Bratislava has faced four losses in competitive matches in Austria, conceding 14 goals in the process, and there are few signs indicating that the streak is about to change.

Slovan has triumphed in only one of their 12 away fixtures in either the European Cup or Champions League, the lone win dating back to 1970, and they appear to be in considerable distress this season.

After advancing through qualifying, they recently became the first team in UEFA’s top competition to lose their first ten matches, with the Slovak team still waiting for a point.

Slovan began their campaign with a 6-1 defeat to reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain, then experienced a 3-0 loss against Stuttgart in matchday two, followed by a 4-0 defeat to Roma in their latest outing.

It comes as no surprise that the Sky Blues have faced the most shots (77) and the highest number of shots on target (32), while managing the joint-fewest shots (25) and fewest shots on target (five) at the opposite end.

Having finished 35th out of 36 teams two years ago with no points, a similar outcome could await them if they don’t rectify their issues promptly, with even their traditional domestic supremacy appearing to be at risk.

Yaya Toure’s squad did earn a 2-1 win against Podbrezova on Saturday, yet they still sit second in Slovakia’s Super Liga, trailing five points behind the leaders Dunajska Streda.

Team News

With George Bello and Ramiz Harakate sidelined due to injuries, LASK head coach Kuhbauer is expected to have his full squad available, following the recent return of Nigerian international Moses Usor from a shoulder injury.

Having been rested on Saturday, Austria striker Kalajdzic has scored in both of his two starts in major European competitions – once for Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2023-24 Conference League and against Sporting last month.

Also rested during the weekend, captain Sascha Horvath is anticipated to make his return to the central midfield position.

On the other hand, Slovan has uncertainty surrounding two forwards: Roman Cerepkai (back injury) and Andraz Sporar (illness).

Although the latter might be cleared to play, Gambian winger Suleiman Camara is prepared to step in, while Nino Marcelli adds another option.

The key player for the visitors is Tigran Barseghyan, who netted their opening goal against Podbrezova and led their team in goal involvements, assists, and chances created during the 2024-25 Champions League.

Expected to start on the bench, veteran defender Kevin Wimmer is a former player of LASK, having made 31 appearances for the Linz side in the 2011-12 season.

LASK Linz probable starting XI:

Jungwirth; Jorgensen, Mbuyamba, Andrade, Alemao, Dibango; Ljubicic, Horvath, Danish; Lang, Kalajdzic

Slovan Bratislava probable starting XI:

Takac; Blackman, Bajric, Markovic, Cruz; Pokorny, Ibrahim, Gajdos; Barseghyan, Marcelli, Camara

Both teams have underperformed in their domestic campaigns and are conceding numerous goals in Europe.

Recognizing this as an opportune moment to claim crucial Champions League points, they could engage in an open encounter, which the home side is likely to claim.