FC Santa Coloma vs Rapid Vienna

A goalless first half saw Rapid dominate possession (62% for the match) against a well-organised Santa Coloma defence. The Austrian side created several chances — Bendegúz Bolla curled just wide in the 8th minute, Matthias Seidl went close after a one-two with Ercan Kara in the 10th, and Yusuf Demir's corner found Kara's head in the 27th minute but the effort drifted narrowly off target — but could not break through before the break.

The floodgates opened after half-time. Serge-Philippe Raux-Yao headed Rapid into the lead from a Demir corner in the 50th minute, his first goal in European competition. Santa Coloma responded swiftly: Adrià Arjona slipped Pedra Muñoz through on goal, and the winger beat Niklas Hedl one-on-one to level at 1-1 in the 54th minute.

Rapid regained the lead within two minutes. Matthias Seidl and Yusuf Demir exchanged passes before Demir drilled a left-footed finish past Alcaraz to make it 2-1 in the 56th minute.

The visitors sealed the result in the 89th minute when substitute Petter Nosa Dahl crossed for fellow substitute Moulaye Haïdara, who scored his first competitive goal for Rapid from close range.

Raux-Yao's 50th-minute opener — a header from Demir's corner — broke Santa Coloma's resistance after 45 minutes of disciplined defending. The goal forced the Andorran side to push forward, which created the space for Rapid's second and third goals.

Yusuf Demir was the standout performer, providing a goal and an assist. The 22-year-old Austrian international scored the decisive second goal and delivered the corner for Raux-Yao's opener.

Serge-Philippe Raux-Yao scored the crucial opener and was solid in central defence, forming a capable partnership with Nenad Cvetković.

Moulaye Haïdara made an impact off the bench, scoring his first competitive goal for the club in the 89th minute to give Rapid a two-goal cushion ahead of the second leg.

Player of the match: Yusuf Demir

Rapid's 62% possession and 21 shots (8 on target) to Santa Coloma's 10 (2 on target) reflect a dominant display, but the 0-0 half-time scoreline shows Santa Coloma's defensive organisation frustrated Rapid for 45 minutes. The statistics confirm what the scoreline suggests: Rapid controlled the game but needed the early second-half breakthrough to unlock the contest. Santa Coloma's two shots on target included a goal, showing they were clinical with limited chances.

Rapid take a two-goal lead into the second leg at the Allianz Stadion in Vienna on Wednesday, 29 July 2026 (kick-off 20:30 CEST, live on ORF 1). The winner of the tie will face either Paide Linnameeskond (Estonia) or FK Zira (Azerbaijan) in the third qualifying round.

Before the second leg, Rapid face SV Wienerberg in the ÖFB Cup first round on Sunday, 26 July 2026 (20:30 CEST, live on ORF Sport Plus).

Santa Coloma, who eliminated Borac Banja Luka from qualifying last season, need a two-goal victory in Vienna to force extra time.

Rapid's quality eventually told against a stubborn but limited Santa Coloma side. The artificial surface made for a sluggish first half, but Johannes Hoff Thorup's side showed patience and quality to break through after the break. The two-goal cushion should be enough to see them through to the third qualifying round, provided they avoid complacency in the return leg.