Sturm Graz vs Mura

Sturm dominated from the outset against a Mura side that started competitively but struggled to contain the home side's movement in the final third. The deadlock came in the 31st minute when new arrival Simon Seidl — signed this summer from Bundesliga-relegated FC Blau-Weiß Linz — slotted home after an assist from Seedy Jatta to make it 1-0.

Seidl struck again just before the interval, doubling the lead in the 43rd minute to send Sturm into the break 2-0 up. The 23-year-old's quick thinking and composure in the box marked an eye-catching debut performance.

The second half saw wholesale changes — Ingolitsch made 11 substitutions at the restart — but the rhythm did not drop. Bastian Maierhofer made it 3-0 five minutes after the re-start (50'), scoring from close range.

Szymon Włodarczyk added the fourth in the 74th minute, finishing off a move orchestrated by Gizo Mamageishvili, before Petar Petrović — another of Sturm's summer arrivals — capped the evening with a stunning volleyed strike into the top corner in the 89th minute. The 20-year-old Serbian centre-back connected with a left-footed half-volley on the turn that flew into the right side of the net, drawing applause from the 1,000-strong crowd at Unterpremstätten.

Jacob Peter Hödl came closest to adding a sixth, hitting the post in the 84th minute after a surging run.

Seidl's second goal just before half-time was pivotal. Mura had absorbed the early pressure reasonably well — keeping the deficit to a single goal until the 43rd minute — but conceding a second so close to the interval effectively ended the contest. Ingolitsch used the break to introduce an entirely fresh outfield, ensuring intensity remained high in the second period.

Simon Seidl — The summer signing from BW Linz needed just 31 minutes to open his account and added a second before the break. Two goals on debut from midfield is exactly the return Ingolitsch will have hoped for. Player of the match.

Petar Petrović — The 20-year-old Serbian centre-back signed this summer produced the moment of the match: a cleanly struck left-footed volley into the top corner from the edge of the area in the 89th minute. A candidate for goal of the pre-season.

Bastian Maierhofer — Came on at half-time and scored within five minutes of the restart, demonstrating sharp positioning as a centre-forward.

Seedy Jatta — Provided the assist for Seidl's opener and remained a threat in the first half, drawing defenders to create space for runners.

The 5-0 scoreline reflects a clear gulf in match sharpness. Sturm fielded two entirely different XIs (one per half), while Mura made fewer changes and struggled to match the intensity of Ingolitsch's side after the break. Sturm converted efficiently — four of their five first-half shots on target found the net — while Mura failed to register a single shot on target across the 90 minutes. The home side also held roughly 65% possession, controlling the tempo throughout. The clean sheet was shared between goalkeepers Daniil Khudyakov (first half) and Andreas Helac (second half).

This was the first of six pre-season friendlies scheduled for Sturm Graz before competitive action begins. The Austrian side head to a training camp in Irdning from 28 June to 3 July, where further tests await: LNZ Cherkasy (30 June) and FC Košice (3 July), followed by matches against SC Kalsdorf (8 July), Sanfrecce Hiroshima (11 July) and Pogoń Szczecin (15 July).

Ingolitsch's squad are building towards the first major milestone of the season: UEFA Champions League qualification, which begins in mid-July.

For Mura, the defeat serves as useful early-season preparation. The Slovenian PrvaLiga side will take lessons from the gulf in sharpness shown against a team further along in their pre-season block.

A textbook pre-season opener for Sturm Graz: minutes spread across the squad, debut goals for new signings, a clean sheet and no reported injuries. Seidl's sharpness and Petrović's spectacular finish offered the two biggest takeaways, but the broader picture is that Ingolitsch's side already look match-fit and cohesive. Mura offered little resistance after the interval, but the exercise met its purpose for both sides.

"It was a really good first test with a very pleasing result. Very pleasing was also our performance — we managed to bring our energy, that absolute will to give everything, into this game. We used 25 players today. Everyone is pulling in the same direction and it's a lot of fun working with this team." — Fabio Ingolitsch, Sturm Graz head coach (source: Ligaportal.at)

"I think this first game definitely leaves you wanting more. From Sunday we'll be in training camp where we'll invest a lot. In total, five more friendly matches await us in pre-season until we reach our first major milestone — the UEFA Champions League qualification." — Fabio Ingolitsch (source: sksturm.at)