CASHPOINT SCR Altach 1-0 spusu SKN St. Pölten
Fischer’s 14th Bundesliga goal - a low drive from outside the penalty area on the 82-minute mark - moved Altach into fourth spot, three points above St. Pölten in fifth. Fischer now has four goals this season, making him the joint top scorer for the Vorarlberg club along with Schreiner. With an average age of 29 years and 118 days, this was the oldest Altach starting XI in the Bundesliga since 13 April 2008 (then 30 years and 125 days). Free-falling St. Pölten have now lost five of their last six games and have kept only one clean sheet since early December.
FC Flyeralarm Admira 0-2 SV Guntamatic Ried
Ried’s perfect start to the Qualification Group continued with a 2-0 away win over bottom club Admira Wacker. Ziegl’s first Bundesliga goal since September 2012 (53’) and a swerving free-kick from Grüll (60’) took third-placed Ried to within one point of Austria Vienna. Grüll is one of only three players - along with Daka and Baden Frederiksen - to score three goals from outside the box in the Bundesliga this term. It was also Ried’s first goal from a direct free-kick in the Austrian top flight since Kragl’s strike against Wolfsberg on 3 October 2015.
TSV Prolactal Hartberg 1-0 FK Austria Vienna
Hartberg leapfrogged Austria Vienna into top spot in the Qualification Group with a narrow 1-0 victory. Gollner’s 86th-minute penalty proved to be the match-winner; it was only his fifth goal in the Austrian top flight and his first from the penalty spot. Having dominated in terms of shots (18-6), possession (57%), challenges won (55%) and passes completed (75%-69%), it was a deserved win for Schopp’s men. His opposite number Stöger announced after the game that he would be leaving the Violets at the end of the season.
LASK 2-1 RZ Pellets WAC
LASK bounced back from two consecutive defeats for the first time in the Bundesliga this season with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Wolfsberg. Ranftl’s stunning opener brought an end to 220 minutes without a Bundesliga goal for the home side. Röcher then restored parity with an equally spectacular lob on the 70-minute mark - his third goal in as many matches - but Wiesinger converted from the spot 12 minutes from time to seal the points for the Linz outfit. The victory allowed LASK to close the gap to second-placed Rapid Vienna to one point. Meanwhile Wolfsberg, who have now lost both matches since the start of the Championship Group, sit two points adrift at the bottom.
SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz 3-2 WSG Swarovski Tirol
Fourth-placed Sturm Graz moved four points clear of fifth-placed WSG Tirol with a 3-2 home victory. Baden Frederiksen opened the scoring for WSG with a spectacular free-kick, only for Sturm to hit back with a Jantscher brace and a long-range strike from Hierländer before the break. Baden Frederiksen then reduced the deficit to 3-2 with his 12th goal of the season, but Sturm held on to seal the points. Jantscher has been directly involved in 17 goals this term - more than the previous three seasons combined (12). Hierländer’s last nine goals in the Bundesliga have all come in the first half - only Yordy Reyna scored more consecutive first-half goals in the Bundesliga (10).
SK Rapid Wien 0-3 FC Red Bull Salzburg
Salzburg moved seven points clear at the top of the table after claiming a relatively comfortable 3-0 away win over their closest challengers Rapid Vienna. Ramalho broke the deadlock - his last seven league goals have all come from set-pieces - before Adeyemi notched his first Bundesliga brace in the dying minutes; three of his four league goals this season have come against Didi Kühbauer’s side. The Green & Whites had Hofmann sent off seconds after the interval. Home goalkeeper Strebinger had 67 touches of the ball - the most of any Rapid player in this match and the most he personally has ever had in a Bundesliga game.