Suche
Sturm Graz and Salzburg: Europa League challenge expected!
Salzburg and Sturm Graz begin their European League season 2025. Forecasts show challenging group phases for both teams.
Sturm Graz and Salzburg: Europa League challenge expected!
An exciting chapter stands in front of the door for Austrian football! On Wednesday and Thursday it will be serious for the two representatives Sturm Graz and Red Bull Salzburg, because the start of the Europa League league phase is imminent. The domestic audience awaits what the two teams can do. Sturm receives Midtjylland while Salzburg gets Porto aside. Both opening games promise a lot of action, but start with a not entirely carefree feeling, since the last season for both teams was not as desired. You want to do better this season and reach the knockout phase, which has not worked in the past season.
But the challenge is great: According to an analysis of Football meets Data, both storm and Salzburg have crispy opponents in their luggage. Here is a brief overview of the opponents of both teams:
| team | opponent |
|---|---|
| Sturm Graz | Glasgow Rangers, Celtic, Nottingham Forest, Panathinaikos, Red Stern Belgrade, Feyenoord Rotterdam, Brann Bergen |
| Red Bull Salzburg | Porto, Olympique Lyon, Ferencvaros Budapest, Bologna, Freiburg, Basel, Aston Villa |
A difficult path to the knockout phase
The elo ranking, which was released on September 23, shows the difficulty of the project: Salzburg ranks to 28th place and Sturm. The simulations show that Sturm Graz could probably collect 7-8 points with a probability of 11.8% to 11.9%, which would result in 27th place. On the other hand, Salzburg has a slightly better location and could possibly achieve 10 points (probability 12.6%), which would probably result in 28 or 29. Despite the higher number of points, Salzburg could encounter a worse placement due to the new league mode, which has been in place since this season.
However, the numbers are rather sobering: Both teams have a probability of default of more than 55%if they cannot assert themselves among the top 24 teams. You only have a small chance of less than 5% to qualify for the round of 16. It remains to be hoped that the two clubs will actually make the leap into the next round to put Austrian football back in the spotlight.
The coming days will be decisive, and all of Salzburg will keep your breath. Who can show their respect for domestic football and make themselves strong for the further rounds? A good hand in the games could be the key to success. Salzburg and Sturm - two teams that have the potential to exceed expectations.
For current statistics and comprehensive information on the performances of both teams in the Europa League, reference is made to Kicker's website: kicker.at.