Mika Biereth marked his competitive debut for Sturm Graz with a goal against Austria Wien, helping his team into the semi-finals of the OFB Cup.

Arsenal loanee Mika Biereth made the decision to swap Scottish Premiership side Motherwell for Austrian heavyweights Sturm Graz in the January transfer window, and he got his first competitive opportunity to play for his new club on Friday.

Biereth had already scored on his friendly debut for the club, but this was a much different prospect, with Sturm Graz facing Austria Wien in the OFB Cup quarter-finals.

Once again, Biereth didn’t disappoint, scoring in the first half of his first start for his new side.

With the weather conditions forcing some lengthy stoppages, Biereth’s first goal ended up coming in the eighth minute of first-half added time.

The ball came in from the left-hand side, with a defender making a mess of the clearance and sending the ball towards Biereth.

The Arsenal youth striker pounced, controlling the ball with one touch before firing home with the next.

Mika Biereth’s debut goal for Sturm Graz from all angles #AFC pic.twitter.com/U5Iq88sgVN

— AFC LoanWatch (@AFC_Loanwatch) February 3, 2024

The match finished 2-0, with Sturm Graz progressing to the final four of the competition. They’ll be joined in the semi-finals by Red Bull Salzburg and the winners of the other two quarter-finals, yet to be played.

Biereth had spent the first half of the season on loan with Scottish Premiership side Motherwell, where he directly contributed to 11 goals in 15 games (11 starts).

But the Arsenal man says it was an “easy decision” to swap Motherwell for Sturm Graz in January, as he believes the number of chances they create will be good for him as a centre-forward.

“All I can do is get better and better when I’m away on loan,” Biereth added. “Hopefully I can get the opportunity when I come back to the club.

“Arsenal keep an eye on all my matches, and that’s good, so hopefully I can get even better when I go back.”