Dundee United Faces Rapid Vienna in Crucial Conference League Clash
Conference League: Dundee United vs. Rapid Vienna (Aggregate 2-2)
Venue: Tannadice Park, Dundee Date: Thursday, 14 August Time: 19:45 BST
Coverage: Listen on BBC Radio Scotland Extra & Sounds, with live text commentary available on the BBC Sport website and app.
Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin acknowledges that Rapid Vienna may be viewed as the favorites to eliminate his injury-plagued team from the Conference League. The third qualifying round tie remains evenly poised after United managed to come from behind twice to secure a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Austria last week.
Despite gaining valuable insights from that match and having the advantage of playing at home on Thursday, Goodwin recognizes the challenge ahead for the Tangerines in front of a packed Tannadice crowd.
The winner of this matchup will face either AIK Stockholm from Sweden or Hungary's FC Gyor for a place in the Conference League.
"This is a massive game," said Goodwin. "I won't need to say much to motivate the players because they understand the stakes involved. They know the opportunity that lies ahead, but we also recognize that Rapid Vienna is a strong team and likely still favored in many people's eyes. If our fans can create a positive atmosphere and support the players, we hope it will be a memorable night that we can look back on with pride for years to come."
Team News
Goodwin revealed that a knee injury sustained by summer signing Isaac Pappoe early in the first leg will keep the Ghanaian midfielder out for an extended period. United are currently in discussions with Pappoe's parent club, Ferencvaros, regarding the continuation of his loan deal, as he is unlikely to return before Christmas.
"We could spend a long time discussing who is unavailable," Goodwin added, noting that he will also be without players such as Ross Graham, Ryan Strain, and Kristijan Trapanovski among others. "This is a real challenge; I have never faced such a situation this early in a season. On Sunday, we were missing seven or eight influential players who could arguably be in the starting XI against Hearts, which would certainly strengthen our squad."
What They Said
Dundee United defender Krisztian Keresztes: "I don’t think we are the favorites, but we will fight until the end. I believe that these types of games are where you can develop as a player because the big prize is at stake, so we must mature and make the right decisions. We are tired, we have limited players available due to injuries, but if we prepare mentally, we can surprise ourselves with how well we perform."