Austria round-up: Sturm secure Champions League place

SK Sturm Graz secured the second UEFA Champions League qualification slot today with a 4-1 win over Schwarz-Weiss Bregenz.

Crucial win
Sturm's win, combined with defeat for their city rivals Grazer AK, meant that they could not be caught in second place in the Austrian Bundesliga with just one round of games left to play.

Goal spree
Ivica Osim's side made a dreadful start in front of their expectant home fans as Axel Lawarée put Bregenz 1-0 up in the fourth-minute. However, Sturm were not to be denied and gave themselves a shot at the Champions League with four goals in 12 minutes either side of half-time.

Haas double
Martin Pregelj equalised a minute before the break, Ivica Vastic put Sturm ahead in the 49th minute and then two goals from Mario Haas within the space of two minutes meant the game was over by the 56th minute. Sturm will now take their place in the second qualifying round of Europe's premier tournament.

Friedl winner
Grazer will have to console themselves with a place in the UEFA Cup after they lost 1-0 to SV Austria Salzburg, Jürgen Friedl scoring the only goal in the 78th minute.

Champions lose
Champions FC Tirol Innsbruck, who lost 4-3 at home to Sturm on Wednesday night, slipped to defeat against FK Austria Wien, who almost certainly booked themselves a UEFA Cup place by finishing fourth as Grazer qualify through the Austrian Cup. Michael Wagner put the team from the capital ahead on the stroke of half-time and four minutes after the break Norwegian striker Sigurd Rushfeldt doubled their advantage, Patrik Jezek pulling one back for Tirol in the 57th minute.

Score draw
FC Kärnten's needed to win by a cricket score in their final game to have a chance of the final place in Europe after a 1-1 draw at home to SK Rapid Wien. Marijo Maric put the home team ahead after 53 minutes, but Roman Wallner drew Rapid level 20 minutes from time.

Another defeat
Already-relegated VfB Admira Wacker Mödling slumped to yet another defeat, this time at home to next-to-bottom SV Ried. The home team stole in front after 63 minutes through their Albanian star Kliton Bozgo, but two goals from Herwig Drechsel, the second a penalty, and a third from Muhammet Akagündüz sealed Ried's win.