ADMIRAL Bundesliga Matchday 19 Review

LASK 1-0 SC Austria Lustenau

LASK celebrated their long-awaited return to the city of Linz by edging past Austria Lustenau thanks to a late penalty in the new Raiffeisen Arena. Around 12,000 fans came to the Friday evening fixture to see the new ground get its first taste of Bundesliga football, but in cold and rainy conditions nobody was able to break the deadlock early on and get their name in the books as the first league scorer in the stadium. Moses Usor forced a couple of good saves from visiting keeper Domenik Schierl, and Keito Nakamura had a game-high four shots for LASK, yet Schierl was also able to deal with those when necessary. Lustenau held their own, and although they created little in front of goal, their defensive resilience looked set to earn them a point until a contentious late call came. With several players slipping on the extremely wet turf, Florian Flecker appeared to do the same in the box, before the home side were awarded a stoppage-time penalty. Marin Ljubicic calmly put it down the middle to score his tenth goal of the season, and his first from the bench, as LASK’s 94th minute winner became their latest league goal since 2019. The home side booked their place in the Championship Round with the win, as Lustenau fell five points away from the top six.

FK Austria Vienna 3-0 TSV Egger Glas Hartberg

Haris Tabakovic was Austria’s home hero again, as the Violets punished an error-strewn display to see off struggling Hartberg. Both goalkeepers had saves to make in the early stages, before a low Manuel Polster cross was turned in at the front post by Tabakovic after half an hour. Home keeper Christian Früchtl had to be taken off at half time following a heavy blow to the shoulder, and his replacement Mirko Kos came up with a smart stop to keep out a dipping shot from ex-Austria man Dominik Prokop, before Jürgen Heil misjudged a sliding challenge on Reinhold Ranftl in the box, allowing Tabakovic to double the lead from the spot. The Swiss striker has now been involved in five of Austria’s six goals in 2023 (4 goals 1 assist) as he netted his second home brace in succession. Just after the hour mark, an ill-judged backpass from Hartberg gave Nikola Dovedan time to pick out a square ball for Manfred Fischer, who duly converted from close range to cap off a 3-0 win with his fifth career goal against his former team, his highest goal tally against any Bundesliga side. Michael Wimmer has now led the Violets to victory in his first two home games, after winning four home fixtures in a row at his previous post in Stuttgart. Austria Vienna are sixth, two points above the split with three games left to play, and Hartberg remain in 11th.

SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz 1-2 SK Austria Klagenfurt

Sturm’s six month domestic unbeaten run came to an end at home against Klagenfurt on Saturday, as Peter Pacult’s side rallied for a much-needed win. Having taken just one point from their last five fixtures, Klagenfurt fans would have been forgiven for fearing the worst when David Affengruber’s header from Manprit Sarkaria’s free kick put the hosts in front after 11 minutes. For the young defender it was a third Bundesliga goal, all of which have come as a headers from set-piece situations, however he cancelled that out just seconds later, as a quickly taken free kick caused havoc down the right flank, and Affengruber inadvertently touched a Simon Straudi cross past his own keeper for 1-1. Sturm responded strongly as Sarkaria hit the post - something which the home side would do four times in the match - but after the break they fell behind. Straudi rode a challenge on the right and passed into the area where Markus Pink smashed in his 13th goal of the season from a tight angle. With that strike, Pink moved back to the summit of the Bundesliga’s top scorer tally, having now scored more than he managed in any other Bundesliga season. Despite needing the goal frame for help, Klagenfurt held on for a crucial win to keep them within touching distance of sixth spot. Sturm stay second but lost ground to Salzburg at the top of the table.

RZ Pellets Wolfsberger AC 1-2 SK Rapid Vienna

WAC slipped to a fifth defeat from seven games as Rapid’s strong start was enough to see the capital club over the line in Carinthia. After home keeper Hendrik Bonmann failed to hold a powerful shot from Guido Burgstaller, Patrick Greil rushed in to tap home a first goal in Rapid colours. All five of his career league goals have been scored in Carinthia! Bonmann would deny Burgstaller from close range with a fantastic stop, but shortly before the break Bernhard Zimmermann repaid his manager’s faith by squeezing the ball home whilst under pressure in the area. Trailing 2-0 at the interval, Wolfsberg coach Robin Dutt brought on Thorsten Röcher for the second half, and just nine minutes later his cross from the left was flicked in by Tai Baribo to reduce the deficit. Baribo continued his run of scoring in every game in 2023, the only Bundesliga player to do so, as Röcher notched a sixth assist of the campaign. Although they had the momentum for a comeback, WAC couldn’t push on and it was Rapid who spurned glorious chances, as Moritz Oswald and Guido Burgstaller were wasteful from excellent positions, yet the visitors held on to all but seal a top six spot. Wolfsberg are now six points adrift of sixth place, and would need a major turnaround to reach the Championship Round.

CASHPOINT SCR Altach 0-0 WSG Tirol

For the second time this season, Altach and WSG shared the spoils in a goalless encounter. Altach may have gone six games without a win, but they at least picked up a first point of 2023 with a promising display on Sunday afternoon. Mike-Steven Bähre dribbled forward before firing over the top early on, and he thought he’d scored after converting from a set-piece later in the first half, but the flag was rightfully up for a tight offside call. WSG had the ball in the net themselves just before half time, but after the ball ricocheted in the box three times, would-be scorer Justin Forst was penalised for handball just prior to his finish. In the second half Altach’s top scorer Atdhe Nuhiu went close a few times, most notably forcing a smart reflex stop from visiting keeper Ferdinand Oswald, but neither side could find the all-important winner. In their 400th Bundesliga fixture, tenth-placed Altach had to settle for a point. WSG will have been slightly happier with the draw based on the display, they’re in fifth and edging towards a place in the top six, but they still have tricky fixtures to come before the split.

FC Red Bull Salzburg 2-0 SV Guntamatic Ried

It was a battle of top-versus-bottom in the Bundesliga on Sunday, and the home favourites Salzburg came away with the spoils. Having started off on the front foot, Nicolas Seiwald, Oscar Gloukh and Strahinja Pavlovic all came so close to opening the scoring, only for Ried keeper Jonas Wendlinger to parry the ball away on multiple occasions, keeping things goalless. As it was, the deadlock was soon broken anyway, after Noah Okafor’s chipped pass to Nicolas Capaldo was fired in low to give the hosts the lead after 19 minutes. Okafor thought he’d scored himself, but the goal was chalked off for a Seiwald handball, and after the break Benjamin Sesko would also have a goal taken away after he put in a heavy challenge in the build-up. Despite Ried hanging in there at one goal behind, Leo Mikic’s game high six shots couldn’t get the guests on the board, and a half chance from Seifeddin Chabbi was blocked to safety. With two minutes to go, Salzburg made the win safe when Sesko’s cushioned pass across the six-yard box was turned in by Sekou Koita for just his second goal of the season. Salzburg moved nine points clear at the top, and have now gone unbeaten in all 13 games in which Okafor has registered an assist (won 12 drawn 1), as Sesko registered a direct goal contribution for the third straight game (2 goals 1 assist). Ried remain at the foot of the table, and winless in seven games.