Bundesliga: LASK missed the leap to the top

With a win, Linz would have had the chance to oust Red Bull Salzburg from first place. The “cops” had previously lost 3-2 at home against RZ Pellets WAC. In the twelfth round on Saturday, Puntigamer Sturm Graz (3-0 at home against spusu SKN St. Pölten) and Rapid Wien (1-0 at Flyeralarm Admira) are only one point between the fourth in the table and the leader. Salzburg continue to lead with 25 points ahead of Sturm (one game less played), LASK and Rapid (24 each).

A clear overweight of chances of the Upper Austrians, who again remained without a win after the 1: 3 against Salzburg, remained unrewarded. After losing to Sturm and WAC, the Autria were able to get at least one point again, but have been without a win for eight games. With eleven points, the team of coach Peter Stöger is in tenth place only four points away from the bottom of the table. The gap to the master group is five points.

Stöger makes four changes in the starting XI

Stöger made four changes compared to the 3-2 defeat at the WAC. In the front, Pichler and Dominik Fitz stormed in place of Alon Turgeman and Christoph Monschein, who had to fail due to a cut wound on his instep at home. In midfield, Thomas Ebner replaced Alexander Grünwald in the team, while Austria’s coach with Christoph Schösswendter relied on routine in defense. The 32-year-old was preferred to Johannes Handl and made his first appearance in the “Veilchen” dress. The Linzers were missing the sick Andreas Gruber and James Holland, who was beaten on the thigh.

After a minute’s silence for the late ex-ÖFB team boss Otto Baric, the game basically took the expected course. LASK had significantly more possession of the ball, dictated the action and let the leather run well, the Viennese were waiting for the counterattack. The first of these led to the home side’s surprising leadership. Pichler let Mads Emil Madsen get out with a hook and hit the far corner with his left. The goalscorer was immediately in the center of attention on the other side, saving a Goiginger cross for the Viennese with a header on the line (15th).

Teigl slip becomes the ideal template

Seven minutes later, the Linzers rewarded themselves for their effort, but they also had the luck they need. Georg Teigl played the ball with his heel, then slipped and unintentionally provided an ideal template for Goiginger, who hit the Kreuzeck from a sideways position from just inside the penalty area. Pentz was powerless. Otherwise the Austria goalie did not have to intervene before the break, the guests had a hard time working out top chances.

After the restart, little changed in the game, the Linz team pressed on the opening goal. Gernot Trauner and Goiginger missed a double chance (52nd), Reinhold Ranftl aimed past the far corner (58th) and Renner moved from a good position after Zwierschitz’s mistake (60th). Three minutes later, the substitute Manprit Sarkaria almost turned the game upside down, but missed.

Grünwald sees yellow-red

Otherwise the guests continued to dominate, Dominik Reiter (80th) and Philipp Wiesinger (81st) found their champions in Pentz. But Austria, with which Patrick Wimmer was ruled out with suspected concussion, tried again to set accents in a gripping finish. Teigl hurried away from the Linz defense, but missed the goal (83rd). In stoppage time it got really turbulent again. “Joker” Grünwald pulled Trauner down by his shirt when Johannes Eggestein took a free kick in the penalty area and was also excluded with the traffic light card, but Renner missed the penalty chance.

Tipico Bundesliga, twelfth round

Sunday:

Austria – SHOOT 1: 1 (1: 1)

Vienna, Generali Arena, SR Ciochirca

Goal sequence:
1:0 Pichler (13.)
1:1 Goiginger (22.)

Austria: Pentz – Zwierschitz, Schösswendter (74./Handl), Palmer-Brown, Suttner – Teigl, Ebner, Jukic (84./Grünwald), Wimmer (56./Sarkaria) – Fitz (84./Hahn), Pichler

LASK: Schlager – Wiesinger, Trauner, Andrade – Ranftl, Madsen, Michorl, Renner – Reiter (82./Plojer), Eggestein, Goiginger

Note: Renner (97./LASK) fails with a penalty kick to Pentz

Yellow-red card: Grünwald (96./Austria)

Yellow cards: Palmer-Brown or Trauner, Madsen, Reiter, Wiesinger

The best: Palmer-Brown, Pichler, Pentz or Trauner, Michorl, Andrade