ADMIRAL Bundesliga Matchday 18 Review

SK Austria Klagenfurt 0-3 RZ Pellets WAC

On a Saturday of regional derbies across the Bundesliga, the youngest Wolfsberg starting XI to ever take to the field in the Bundesliga produced an attacking masterclass in the first half to put the game beyond their Carinthian rivals. The opening goal came in the 25^th minute when Adis Jasic threaded a nice ball through to Maurice Malone, who accelerated past Thorsten Mahrer, rounded goalkeeper Phillip Menzel and slotted the ball into an empty net. Six minutes later, goalscorer Malone turned provider with a clever turn and cutback towards Tai Baribo, who hammered the ball high into the goal. Baribo then added another when he tapped home from point-blank range on the stroke of half-time. The common denominator for all three goals? They were all initiated by perfectly weighted through-balls that Klagenfurt simply could not deal with. The Wolves managed the game comfortably after the restart to secure their first win of 2023 and move within one point of seventh-placed Austria Klagenfurt, whose coach Peter Pacult went over to remonstrate with a group of angry home supporters at the final whistle.

SV Guntamatic Ried 1-1 LASK

Ried went into the 66^th edition of this Upper Austrian rivalry rock-bottom in the table, but the form book so often goes out of the window on derby day and it was the Vikings who dominated the opening stages of yet another cagey clash between these two teams. The first half looked set to end scoreless but then a moment of madness from Felix Luckeneder, who denied an obvious goal by handling Stefan Nutz’s shot on the line, resulted in a red card and a spot-kick for the home side that was gratefully tucked away by Christoph Lang. With the numerical disadvantage, it was always going to be tough for third-placed LASK to get back into the match at such an atmospheric Josko Arena – but the outstanding Keito Nakamura managed to salvage a point right at the death when he hammered the ball inside Jonas Wendlinger’s near post. Seifedin Chabbi could have still won it for Ried but it was not to be and Christian Heinle’s charges remain bottom, behind Hartberg virtue of their inferior head-to-head record. 

TSV Egger Glas Hartberg 1-2 SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz 

Sturm Graz, the only club in Austria’s top flight with three competitive wins this calendar year, continued their pursuit of Salzburg with a derby victory against Styrian rivals Hartberg. Christian Ilzer’s charges got off to the perfect start when Manprit Sarkaria headed home a pinpoint curling cross from David Schnegg on the left flank in the 11^th minute. The second goal came when Bryan Teixera sped past the hapless Marin Karamarko and teed up Tomi Horvat to double the lead with one minute to go before the break. Hartberg, who bade a fond half-time farewell to former goalkeeper and club captain Rene Swete following his retirement over the winter break, continued on the back foot in the second period but did succeed in reducing the arrears when Dario Tadic fired in from a tight angle with a quarter of an hour remaining. There were to be no further goals, however, as Sturm Graz extended their unbeaten run to 13 Bundesliga games and heaped further pressure on relegation-threatened Hartberg.

SC Austria Lustenau 1-0 FK Austria Wien

The theme of late first-half goals continued on Sunday as Austria Lustenau emerged narrow 1-0 winners over Austria Vienna in a low-scoring and disjointed encounter at the Reichshofstadion. The scorer of the sole goal one minute before the break was Lukas Fridrikas, who emphatically fired inside the far post with a right-footed strike from the right side of the box that left goalie Christian Früchtl with no chance. His opposite number Domenik Schierl made a couple of early interventions in the second period, first denying former Lustenau forward Haris Tabakovic in a one-on-one and then parrying Aleksandar Jukic’s low free-kick from range. A mixture of the woodwork and wastefulness subsequently cost the Violets a route back into the game against a Lustenau team that was reduced to 10 men when Darijo Grujcic was sent off for a second bookable offence in stoppage time. Eighth-placed Lustenau are now two points off Austria Vienna and the top six, with four rounds remaining until the league splits in half.

WSG Tirol 1-3 FC Red Bull Salzburg

This meeting between the Austrian Bundesliga’s two most in-form clubs in the second half of the regular season – both sides had taken 16 points from their six fixtures ahead of this match – ended in a comfortable victory for Salzburg, who showed no sign of a European hangover following their exertions against Roma in midweek. But they were perhaps slightly fortunate to go ahead on the stroke of half-time when WSG goalkeeper Ferdinand Oswald misjudged the flight of a corner-kick and the ball ended up in the back of the net via Kofi Schulz. More poor defending allowed Benjamin Sesko to double the advantage with his sixth goal of the season in the 56th minute, before Bundesliga debutant Karim Konaté headed home Maurits Kjaergaard’s corner to seal the points five minutes from time. Denis Tomic pulled a goal back for the Tyroleans in stoppage time but it was too little too late for Thomas Silberberger’s men, who were ousted from fourth spot by Rapid Vienna. Salzburg, meanwhile, remain six points clear of closest challengers Sturm Graz at the summit.

SK Rapid Wien 3-0 CASHPOINT SCR Altach

Rapid Vienna bounced back from their narrow defeat at the hands of Sturm Graz last time out with a win over Altach that was less straightforward than the scoreline might suggest. The breakthrough at a rain-soaked Allianz Stadion did not come until eight minutes into the second period, when Oliver Strunz tapped home Jonas Auer’s dangerous low cross into the six-yard box from close range. Strunz’s first Bundesliga goal might have been unspectacular, but his second in the 81^st minute was anything but: the 22-year-old forward latched onto a through-ball, turned inside his marker and curled the ball into the top corner to perfection. Guido Burgstaller then added some gloss to the scoreline by making it 3-0 five minutes from time. The victory carried the Green & Whites above WSG Tirol and into fourth-placed by virtue of their superior head-to-head record, while Altach remain in 10^th position with only one point separating them from fellow relegation battlers Hartberg and Ried.