ADMIRAL Bundesliga Matchday 28 Reviews

Qualification Round

LASK 2-1 CASHPOINT SCR Altach

LASK finally returned to winning ways by claiming a 2-1 victory in a bad-tempered and foul-laden clash with Altach. With a couple of bookings having already been dished out in the opening half-hour, Altach defender Ange Nanizayamo was then sent off for a professional foul on Husein Balic in the 37^th minute. LASK swiftly made them pay with a two-goal salvo before the break, with Sascha Horvath firing into the top corner from the spot before Keito Nakamura emphatically hammered home 60 seconds later. The Vorarlbergers battled hard in the second period and did pull one back through Atdhe Nuhiu in stoppage time, but it was too little too late and they succumbed to defeat for the first time since the split six weeks ago. The two teams now find themselves at opposite ends of the table with four matches to go: the Linzers lead the Qualification Group (21 points), while Altach occupy the relegation spot (15 points).

FC Flyeralarm Admira 1-3 TSV Egger Glas Hartberg

Hartberg scored more goals than they had managed in their previous nine matches combined as they pulled off a surprise 3-1 victory against Admira. The Lower Austrians began brightly and should have taken the lead early through Stefano Surdanovic. But it was the Styrians who broke the deadlock, Jürgen Heil smashing home the ball from close range midway through the first half. Dario Tadic doubled the Hartberg lead 10 minutes later, before Admira defender Stephan Zwierschitz was sent off for a second bookable offence. Now a man up, Hartberg made it 3-0 via Seth Paintsil with a quarter of an hour to go, with Admira claiming a consolation via Marlon Mustapha in stoppage time. Hartberg – whose victory was their first under boss Klaus Schmidt and ended an 11-game winless run dating back to November – moved off the foot of the table, while Admira lost their short-lived lead at the top of the Qualification Group.

WSG Tirol 2-0 SV Guntamatic Ried

Christian Heinle’s second spell as Ried’s interim boss this season got off to a sub-optimal start as the Vikings lost to WSG Tirol for the second weekend running. The home side were without suspended top scorer Giacomo Vrioni but managed just fine in his absence thanks to second-half strikes from Thomas Sabitzer, who now has four goals in his last three appearances against the Upper Austrians, and Julius Erthaler. Ried’s misery was then compounded when Tin Plavotic was sent off following two bookable offences – both on Tim Prica – in the final minute. A second consecutive victory for the Tyroleans means they are now second in the Qualification Group and level on 21 points with leaders LASK, whom they face at home on Tuesday evening. Ried, meanwhile, are slowly slipping down the table and now find themselves in fourth spot on 18 points, only three points above the dreaded drop zone.

Championship Round

SK Austria Klagenfurt 2-3 Wolfsberger AC

Wolfsberg exacted revenge on Austria Klagenfurt and regained the derby bragging rights thanks to a 3-2 victory over their rivals. But it was Austria Klagenfurt who took the lead at the Wörthersee Stadion, with talismanic forward Markus Pink slotting home at the back post. However, Wolfsberg soon turned the game on its head through a Mario Leitgeb piledriver and an Eliel Peretz strike either side of the break. Pink responded with his 12^th goal of an outstanding campaign to draw the home side level, only for match-winner Peretz to seal the victory for the Wolves in the 73^rd minute. It was the first time Robin Dutt’s men have picked up any points since the start of the Championship Round and they now occupy fifth spot (21 points). Austria Klagenfurt are two points behind them in sixth spot.   

FC Red Bull Salzburg 5-0 FK Austria Wien

Red Bull Salzburg’s 5-0 demolition job on Austria Vienna means that they are Bundesliga champions for a record-extending ninth consecutive year. The hosts set the tone for the match with a third-minute goal from Noah Okafor, before star man Karim Adeyemi doubled the advantage a quarter-hour later. The in-form Luka Sucic gave his side a commanding three-goal lead as the half-hour mark approached, scoring for the seventh time this season. The victory was then rounded off by second-half penalties from Brenden Aaronson and Mohamed Camara. Matthias Jaissle, who becomes the youngest-ever coach to win the Austrian Bundesliga at 34, was subjected to the customary beer showers in the post-match celebrations as Salzburg’s brilliant crop of youngsters celebrated an incredible season in which they have lost only one match to date. Austria remain in fourth with next opponents Wolfsberg breathing down their necks: the two are level on points and will go head-to-head in midweek.  

SK Rapid Wien 1-1 SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz

Sturm Graz extended their unbeaten streak against Rapid Vienna to six games (W3 D3) thanks to a 1-1 draw in front of 20,200 spectators at a raucous Allianz Stadion, although the Grazers will feel it is more a case of two points dropped. In a game disrupted by injury – Christopher Dibon, Jon Gorenc-Stankovic, Anderson Niangbo and Otar Kiteishvili were all unable to continue – Sturm took the lead when Manprit Sarkaria confidently dispatched from the penalty spot following a foul on Lukas Jäger by Leopold Querfeld. But a dismissal for the visitors – Gregory Wüthrich was booked for a second time for a high boot with eight minutes to go – gave Rapid a new lease of life and they levelled through Christoph Knasmüllner in the 89^th minute. While the equaliser ensured the Green & Whites remained unbeaten at home to any club other than Salzburg since September, it is unlikely to have any impact on the battle for second: Sturm are now eight points clear of third-placed Rapid with four rounds of matches remaining.