Championship Group
SK Austria Klagenfurt 4-3 FC Red Bull Salzburg
Salzburg slipped to a remarkable defeat in Klagenfurt to hand the title initiative over to Sturm Graz ahead of their meeting on Sunday. The home side pressed well and played good passing football, but despite that, Oscar Gloukh was twice able to set up the league’s top scorer Karim Konate on the break and he slotted away both chances right inside the post for a neat brace before half time. However, Klagenfurt kept faith in their playing style, and were rewarded with an incredible second half comeback. Andy Irving drove the side to their unlikely victory, first by starting a move which ended with Solomon Bonnah tapping in for 2-1, then by firing a shot on goal which was deflected in by the unfortunate Lucas Gourna-Douath to level the game. The Scot finally scored for himself with 15 minutes to play as he met a clearance at the edge of the box and dispatched it through a crowd of players, but that wasn’t enough. He stepped up to convert from the spot ten minutes later after Gourna-Douath felled Max Besuschkow, and although Strahinja Pavlovic reduced the deficit late on, it wasn’t enough to save Salzburg’s day. The key defender also earned himself a booking which will see him miss the battle of the top-two teams at the weekend.
TSV Egger Glas Hartberg 1-2 LASK
Hartberg looked to back up their first win of the group with another victory against LASK, this time on home turf, and they began well as Maximilian Entrup stayed on-side to cut back across the area, allowing youngster Maximilian Fillafer to tuck in his first goal of the group after 20 minutes. LASK fought back and deservedly pulled level just before the break as a cross was only cleared into the path of former Hartberg man Florian Flecker, who scored against his former team for the second time in four days. After edging the second half action, LASK were then rewarded with a precious late winner, as Valon Berisha’s set-piece delivery was met by Philipp Ziereis, who tucked the ball into the bottom corner in stoppage time, to take the Upper Austrians onto 27 points, six above Hartberg at the foot of the group table.
SK Rapid 1-3 SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz
Sturm took full advantage of Salzburg’s shock defeat as they overcame an injury-hit Rapid in Hütteldorf. Having struck late (and luckily) to win Friday’s meeting, this time the Graz team needed just eight minutes before Tomi Horvat clipped in David Schnegg’s low cross to make it 1-0. Rapid forward Fally Mayulu rose highest to head in an equaliser after 19 minutes, but Sturm soon restored their lead thanks to a sumptuous free kick from Jusuf Gazibegovic, which flew right into the top corner. The sublime technique of Otar Kiteishvili then allowed them to extend the lead on the stroke of half time, as he arrowed in a left-footed shot for his fifth goal involvement in the group (3 goals, 2 assists), and although they sat back after the break, they held the hosts at arm’s length save for a few moments of pinball in the penalty area, and ultimately coasted to the win which takes them to the summit of the table with just four rounds left to play. Rapid, who were without key players all over the pitch, lost ground to LASK, who are now five points ahead of them in the race for third place.
Qualification Group
FC Blau Weiß Linz 2-1 CASHPOINT SCR Altach
Four days after their last meeting 450 kilometres away in Vorarlberg, Blau-Weiß Linz claimed a comeback victory to leapfrog Altach into fourth place in the Qualification Group courtesy of their superior head-to-head record. But it was the visitors who made the flying start and took the lead in the second minute: Lukas Fadinger latched onto Vesel Demaku’s through-ball and saw his shot towards the far corner parried by BWL shot-stopper Nicolas Schmid, but Mohamed Ouedraogo was on hand to slot home on the follow-up. The Linzers sought a route back into the game but it did not come until after the hour-mark, when Simon Pirkl’s cross was headed back across the face of goal by Danilo Mitrović for Ronivaldo to nod home. It was the Brazilian’s first goal from open play since 14 November 2023. Gerald Scheiblehner’s men then completed the turnaround with two minutes to spare, Ronivaldo slotting into the back of the net for his ninth goal in his premiere Bundesliga season, after substitute Kristijan Dobras had drawn a foul from Paul-Friedich Koller inside the box.
SC Austria Lustenau 1-2 RZ Pellets WAC
Austria Lustenau succumbed to their 19th defeat of the season and look certain for relegation after falling eight points adrift of safety with only four matches left to play. But they arguably had the best chances to score before the deadlock was broken, with WAC shot-stopper Lukas Gütlbauer making good first-half stops to keep out Kennedy Boateng’s header from a corner-kick and Namory Cissé’s strike from a wide angle. That profligacy proved costly, as Wolfsberg took the lead five minutes into the second period. Adis Jašić delivered a dangerous ball into the penalty area that could only be parried by Domenik Schierl and the loose ball fell straight to the feet of Augustine Boakye, who slotted the ball into the net. The Vorarlbergers did briefly give themselves hope when Lukas Fridrikas tapped home Anderson’s low ball towards the back post, only for Thierno Ballo to produce a truly world-class volley from range with three minutes to go to seal the three points for Manfred Schmid’s charges.
WSG Tirol 1-0 FK Austria Wien
Austria Vienna suffered their first defeat of the Qualification Group as WSG Tirol all-but secured their place in the Bundesliga next season with an important three points in Innsbruck. Andreas Gruber had a great chance to put the capital club in front after only six minutes but was denied by Adam Stejskal from close range. The Tyroleans then increasingly grew into the game and threatened when Bror Blume’s low effort was turned away by Christian Früchtl in between the sticks for the Violets. Austria continued to dominate possession in the second period without ever really carving out clear-cut opportunities and were made to pay right at the death when referee Alan Kijas awarded the hosts a spot-kick for a handball by Marvin Martins, who clumsily handled a high cross into the danger zone by Johannes Naschberger from over on the right flank. Denis Tomic converted the penalty and the night went from bad to worse for Austria, who had substitute Hakim Guenouche sent off for hauling down Lukas Sulzbacher as the last man.
Redakteur: The Other Bundesliga
Fotos: GEPA pictures