DUNDEE UNITED fans gathered for two euro pints at the Hard Rock Cafe the night before this game.
Then they saw their side produce a right solid showing to leave them thirsty for more.
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Zac Sapsford set up Max Watters’ first equaliser then grabbed the second himself for a stunning draw against Rapid.
This was a brilliant showing from Jim Goodwin’s side, whose second qualifying round win over Strassen last week was just their first since 1997.
While the Austrian giants looked mesmerising at times in attack United were dogged and determined in defence and ran themselves into the ground to deservedly emerge all square ahead of next week’s second leg.
Sure they conceded lots of possession but they threw themselves in front of shots and timed their challenges impeccably, with goalie Yevhenii Kucherenko producing the saves when it mattered.
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Then when it counted Sapsford – signed from Western Sydney Wanderers this summer – kept his cool to square for Watters in the 33rd minute before rolling home himself with 15 to go.
A week on from edging past minnows Strassen in a stadium that held just over 3,000 fans, this was a whole different ball game too.
The Allianz Stadion was 5,000 short of its 24,000 capacity but you wouldn’t have known it with the noise generated by home fans, especially the Ultras behind the goal United attacked in the first half.
It was a daunting atmosphere to perform in but United refused to buckle right to the final whistle.
Forty-one years ago these sides had met in the quarter-finals of the European Cup, with United progressing on goal difference before losing to Roma.
Now Goodwin and his side will feel they have a real chance of going through again, with AIK Stockholm or ETO FC Gyor awaiting in the play-off round after next week’s second leg at Tannadice which will surely be a sell-out.
With Ryan Strain and Kristijan Trapanovski out for the next ten weeks and Ross Graham recovering from surgery, the last thing Goodwin would have wanted was for Isaac Pappoe to be stretchered off inside the first 15 minutes.
The on-loan Ferencvaros midfielder came off second best in a challenge with Romeo Amane and was carted off in pain.
By the time United had decided Ivan Dolcek would replace him the game had restarted and with play continuing Goodwin had to whistle at Kucherenko to put the ball out so he could make the change.
By that stage Rapid had started the better in attack but had only managed some half chances.
Watters and Jannes-Kilian Horn clashed on the sidelines as they chased down a ball and had to be separated by teammates and Portuguese ref Luis Godinho.
United had done so well to keep Rapid at bay for 26 minutes but fell behind in the weakest way.
After losing the ball in midfield Rapid shifted it right to Bendeguz Bolla. His cross wasn’t outstanding and United had plenty of bodies in the box but somehow Petter Dahl got on the end of it less than six yards out to slot home.
It was vital United didn’t buckle – but they did more than that as they took just six minutes to level. Sapsford grabbed the first leg winner over Strassen and set up the clincher in the second.
When the Australian picked the ball up down United’s left there didn’t look too much on but after bursting past Romeo Amane and reaching the byline he picked out Watters to steer in.
More than 1,000 United supporters had travelled to Austria, with some going via outposts such as Zante and Ibiza. Earlier in the day they’d gathered in the city’s Karlsplatz before marching towards the stadium.
Just seeing that ball nestle in the net must have made it all feel worthwhile. But United couldn’t keep the scoreline that way until the break.
Once more a Rapid break down the right saw Bolla whip in a wicked cross and while Vicko Sevelj cleared, Matthias Seidl rifled home.
Stoger appealed for a penalty when Nenad Cvetkovic went down inside the box challenging with Bert Esselink at a Rapid corner but ref Godinho gave a foul the other way.
Things went flat for a while after that with United camped inside their own half before Kucherenko produced one smart save to tip Cvetkovic’s shot onto the bar then another to deny Mamadou Sangare.
After two United corners in a row Rapid broke but when Seidl crossed Kucherenko got to the edge of his area just before Dahl.
But then Sapsford hit Rapid with another sucker punch to level.
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Owen Stirton had been sent on for Watters and after collecting the ball the teenager fed Dolcek who flicked onto Sapsford who did brilliantly to turn and finish.
Rapid thought they’d snatched it in six minutes of injury time but Louis Schaub’s goal was ruled out for offside.
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