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SportsFriendly: FC Venice 3-0 Galatasaray, substitute striker Lauberbach scores brace
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In a pre-season friendly match on July 28, 2026, FC Venice defeated Turkish club Galatasaray 3-0 in Linz, Austria. The standout performer was German striker Lion Lauberbach, who came off the bench in the 62nd minute with the score 0-0. After teammate Yeboah opened the scoring in the 71st minute, Lauberbach converted a penalty in the 75th minute and added a second goal in stoppage time (90+2) to seal the victory. The 28-year-old, born in Erfurt, Germany, learned his craft at Rot-Weiß Erfurt's youth academy and has played for several German clubs including FSV Zwickau, Holstein Kiel, Hansa Rostock, and Eintracht Braunschweig, with whom he won promotion to the 2. Bundesliga in 2022. He moved to Belgian club KV Mechelen in 2023 before transferring to FC Venice in January 2026 for €3 million, helping the club earn promotion to Serie A. The match also featured former Germany captain Ilkay Gündogan and national team player Leroy Sané for Galatasaray.
Source report
He stole the show from Sané, Gündogan and Co.! In FC Venice's 3-0 test match victory against Galatasaray, Lion Lauberbach (28) needed only around 30 minutes to make his mark with a brace and shine against the Turkish top club.
Lauberbach Leads Venice to Victory with a Brace
The striker, born in Erfurt, was substituted on in the 62nd minute with the score at 0-0 – the start of the Lauberbach show. Four minutes after the Italians took the lead through Yeboah (71'), Lauberbach coolly scored from the penalty spot, placing the ball into the top right corner to make it 2-0 (75'). In stoppage time, Lauberbach then completed his brace to seal the 3-0 final score (90+2).
Source: Instagram @leonesderosariofc @juanba_ascierto / X @Venzi5626.07.2026
For Galatasaray, former Germany captain Ilkay Gündogan (35) started the match at the Hofmann Personal Stadium in Linz, Austria, and was substituted off in the 62nd minute. National team player Leroy Sané (30) only entered the game in the 79th minute, replacing Victor Osimhen (27).
The Erfurt Native Comes from the RWE Youth System
But who exactly is this Lion Lauberbach? The 1.94-meter-tall striker learned to play football in the youth system of his hometown club Rot-Weiß Erfurt and made his professional debut for RWE in the 3. Liga in 2017 (23 league appearances, 1 goal).
August 6, 2017: Lauberbach (r.) in a duel with Dortmund's Maximilian Philipp (32) during a test match at the Steigerwaldstadion in Erfurt. Photo: dpa
After a season with FSV Zwickau (2018/19), he moved to Holstein Kiel in the 2. Bundesliga. In his first season, he immediately made 21 appearances in the second division, scoring three goals and providing two assists. In his second season, he did not feature in the first half of the campaign and was loaned to Hansa Rostock for six months in January 2021.
Lauberbach in a Hansa Rostock jersey. The striker played on the Baltic coast from January to June 2021. Photo: picture alliance/Fotostand
The Striker Was Promoted to the 2. Bundesliga with Braunschweig in 2022
After his short stint at the "Kogge," he was promoted to the 2. Bundesliga with Eintracht Braunschweig in 2022. With the Lower Saxony club, he developed into a regular starter (70 games, 17 goals) and took the step abroad in 2023, moving to Belgian club KV Mechelen. From there, he transferred to Venice in January of this year for €3 million and was promoted to Serie A with the Italians.
From July 2023 to January 2026, Lauberbach played in Belgium for KV Mechelen, scoring 20 goals in 96 games. Photo: picture alliance/BELGA
January 30, 2026: Lauberbach (2nd from left) after signing his contract with FC Venice, holding his new jersey. Photo: Lukas Keller
Lauberbach told BILD after his move to Venice at the end of January: "It was always my dream to play in Italy."
Source
BILD - SportWestern
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Unknown German Striker Lion Lauberbach Scores Brace for FC Venice Against Galatasaray