Rapid Vienna ahead of a trend-setting duel against Lech Posen in the ECL!

Rapid Vienna ahead of a trend-setting duel against Lech Posen in the ECL!

Today, October 2nd, 2025, the stadium air in Vienna will be stirred up once again when Rapid Vienna takes on Lech Poznan at 6:45 p.m. The UEFA Conference League has shaped the club in recent years and today's encounter is another step in this important phase. The UEFA Conference League anthem has never been played for Rapid this season, making the occasion all the more significant. Fans can look forward to exciting duels in the group stage draw, including encounters against teams such as Fiorentina and Universitatea Craiova. Overall, Rapid has the fourth toughest draw in this round, which raises expectations accordingly.

In the past, Rapid fans have often approached the competition with high hopes. Last year the competition kept spirits high thanks to unexpected successes. Well, with a statistical probability of 60.3% of moving into the second round and only 6.3% of a direct place in the round of 16, every touch of the ball on the pitch will be crucial. Lech Poznan, the Polish champions, will prove to be a tough prospect and have set a new record for Poland this season with four clubs represented in the ECL league stage.

High expectations and challenges

Coach Peter Stöger is confronted with high expectations. After an expensive purchasing program and a successful previous year in which Rapid reached the quarter-finals, today's game will decide the club's demands. How will the team perform under pressure? The experts' opinion? If you don't expect anything, you won't be disappointed - a motto that is particularly true today as Rapid prepares for what is expected to be a strong opponent.

A look back shows the difficult encounters last year, such as the heated clash against Omonia Nicosia. Today, not only the club but also its fans are under scrutiny. The slogans cheering on the spectators already indicate that everyone is getting ready for a big evening of football.

A look into the future

The coming challenge for Rapid will also represent a position assessment for the club. After the successful qualification against Dečić Tuzi, in which Rapid shone with a 4-2 win, expectations have risen immeasurably. In the second leg, Rapid came back onto the pitch with a lot of momentum after a 2-0 win in the first leg. Players like Petter Dahl, who scored a historic 500th European Cup goal, and the other goalscorers have shown that the team is ready to face these challenges.

For Rapid fans it is clear: every point counts. The next Bundesliga game against Blau-Weiß Linz is on the program on Sunday, and a few days later the spectators can already look forward to the match against Dundee United. So Rapid have a lot of plans and today's game will provide a first groundbreaking opportunity to rekindle the supporters' hopes.

In a time when football means more than just a game, there is only one thing left to wish: May the best football club win!

For more information about the next games and the current situation in the competition, see 90minuten as well as the latest developments on BBC Sport and Laola1.