Rapid Vienna vs Pardubice — Match Details | Betmana

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Pardubice

David Polke scored with the last action as Rapid Vienna twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with FK Pardubice in a pre-season friendly in Perg.

Match Videos

Highlights: SK Rapid – FK Pardubice

Match Analysis

AI Summary

How it unfolded

Pardubice caught Rapid cold inside three minutes. Václav Drchal converted early to put the Czech first-division side ahead, exposing the green-and-white defence before Johannes Hoff Thorup's side had settled into their 4-4-2 shape.

Rapid responded inside a quarter of an hour. Summer signing Tonni Adamsen, making his debut for the club, received the ball from Marco Tilio on a quick counter-attack and whipped a sharp cross into the box. Pardubice's Mouhamed Traore, under pressure, could only deflect the ball into his own net — 1-1 in the 17th minute.

The first half settled into a balanced contest with Rapid edging possession but neither goalkeeper seriously tested in open play. Tobias Gulliksen and Vojtěch Patrák were both booked before the break.

After the interval, Rapid raised the tempo. Louis Schaub headed wide from a Gulliksen cross, and Tilio curled a long-range effort just over the bar. But against the run of play, Pardubice struck again in the 75th minute: Abdoullahi Tanko finished to restore the visitors' lead.

Just as a narrow friendly defeat loomed, Rapid showed the resilience Thorup has prioritised this pre-season. Captain Matthias Seidl, who had been one of Rapid's most active players throughout, slid a pass through to 17-year-old substitute David Polke in the 90th minute. Polke — called up from Rapid II for the training camp — swept the ball home for 2-2 with the final kick.

The turning point

The introduction of Polke in the 83rd minute, replacing Gulliksen, was the decisive tactical move. With Pardubice protecting a 2-1 lead and Rapid pushing numbers forward, Polke's fresh legs and instincts in the box gave Rapid a focal point they had lacked after Adamsen and Bolla made way at half-time. Seidl's vision to find him was the other half of the equation.

Key performers

David Polke (Rapid Vienna) — The 17-year-old academy striker needed only seven minutes on the pitch to score his first senior-team goal, calmly finishing Seidl's pass to snatch a draw with the last action.
Tonni Adamsen (Rapid Vienna) — The Danish summer arrival made an instant impact on debut. His sharp cross forced the own goal that brought Rapid level, and he linked well with Tilio in the first half before being substituted at the break.
Matthias Seidl (Rapid Vienna) — The captain pulled the strings in midfield and provided the assist for Polke's 90th-minute equaliser. Consistently involved in Rapid's best attacking moments.
Marco Tilio (Rapid Vienna) — The Australian was Rapid's most dangerous wide threat, playing a key role in the first equaliser with a driving counter-attack before being booked late on.

Player of the match: David Polke (Rapid Vienna)

By the numbers — interpreted

Rapid's 0 substitutions officially recorded against Pardubice's 1 understates the true picture: Thorup used five of his eight outfield substitutes (Oswald, Jozepovic, Gröller, Djezić, Polke) across both halves, while Pardubice made only one change (Šimek for Míšek in the 88th minute). The disparity reflects Rapid's training-camp priority of spreading minutes across the squad — 16 Rapid outfield players saw action compared to 12 for the Czech visitors. The three yellow cards (two for Rapid, one for Pardubice) suggest a competitive but clean friendly, befitting early pre-season.

What it means

Rapid Vienna took a 22-man squad into a week-long training camp in Freistadt, using the Perg double-header to build match sharpness. After the 2-2 draw with Pardubice, they played a second 90-minute match against Rapid București that finished 0-0. Their next pre-season fixture is against Austrian second-tier side FC Hertha Wels on 12 July (15:00, HUBER Arena, Wels, live on Krone TV). Pardubice, who finished 8th in the Czech First League last season, continue their summer preparations ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

Verdict

A textbook pre-season friendly: disjointed in moments, encouraging in others, with squad rotation taking priority over result. Rapid's resolve to fight back twice — particularly through a 17-year-old academy graduate — will satisfy Thorup more than the scoreline. Seidl's continued influence and Adamsen's promising debut are the real positives to take into the final weeks of preparation.