If the four top clubs were only separated by a point before the end of the winter break, the “Bulls” and Rapid have at least temporarily moved away. After playing 13 rounds, Salzburg are now one point ahead of the second-placed Viennese. Sturm Graz’s deficit in third place grew to three points, while LASK is fourth, four points behind first place.
A pragmatic performance was enough for Salzburg to regain the lead in the table. There was no spectacle at the 2-0 in Altach, but there was stability on the defensive, which meant that the “Bulls” ended a game without conceding for the first time after eleven competitive games. Coach Jesse Marsch was clearly satisfied with the gate ban. “We have practically not allowed a chance,” said the American. “It was a very decent, very clean performance.”
Salzburg takes back the championship lead
The champions from Salzburg started the spring season on Sunday in an unfamiliar pursuit role. With a win in Altach, the “Bulls” regained the lead in the standings.
Rapidlers keep up with Salzburgers
Central defender Maximilian Wöber assessed the three points in the “Ländle” realistically. “You don’t have to be overly proud of it, but at least the press can leave us alone for a week because we didn’t get a goal,” said the Viennese and admitted: “It wasn’t the fireworks that we saw from many Salzburg – Knowing how to play, but a very solid start. “
Rapid had a more than solid start and continued its successful run. The result of 27 points from the first 13 rounds is the best in eleven years, with Sturm the first away defeat of this season and the first defeat after seven competitive games. Graz goalkeeper Jörg Siebenhandl, who had been unbeaten for 550 minutes of competitive play, had to pull behind him four times. In the previous 14 competition games, Sturm had only conceded five goals.
Rapid goalie Richard Strebinger received extra praise. “He saved us a few times,” said coach Dietmar Kühbauer. In the first half, Sturm recorded a clear increase in chances. “We didn’t attack like that,” complained the coach. There was practically nothing left to criticize about the performance in the second half. “What I liked was that we never stopped. We also wanted to score the fifth goal. In the past we might have said after the 3: 1 we’d play it home dry. “
Sturm wants to learn the right lessons
Sturm finished the second game in a row outnumbered. In the 0-0 draw against RZ Pellets Wolfsberg in the supplementary game on Sunday, Amadou Dante – also unjustified for coach Christian Ilzer’s feeling – was excluded. After the previous year had ended with six wins in a row, in 2021 it was only enough to one point from two matches.
4: 1 success for Rapid against Sturm
Coach Didi Kühbauer’s team celebrated an unexpectedly clear 4-1 win against Sturm.
“So far we have played a season in which almost everything went like clockwork for us. Now we’ve seen two games that didn’t go that way for us. This is a test for us that we have to master, ”said Ilzer. In the past two games you had to gain “painful experiences”. “But pain is often the best teacher. If we learn our lessons from these two games, it will help us in the future, ”said Ilzer.
LASK stumbles over Tyrol
LASK also made a classic false start in spring. In their first game in 2021, when they returned to Pasching against Tyrol, the Upper Austrians suffered a bitter, but performance-based 2: 4 defeat. “The disappointment is of course very big. We have big plans, but at the end of the day we weren’t ready enough to implement these things, ”said LASK trainer Dominik Thalhammer.
“There were many scenes with which we made our opponents strong,” said Thalhammer. His kickers were also aware of this. “We didn’t bring anything that we planned to do on the pitch, distributed a lot of presents,” said Captain Gernot Trauner. The first appearance in the Raiffeisen Arena, which will be played for a long time due to the construction work in the Linz stadium, went anything but as desired. In the seventh home game it was the first defeat and ended the flawless record.
False start for LASK
If the duel between LASK and WSG Tirol needed a headline, it could be: The home power of the league welcomes the surprise team. With the 2: 4 home defeat, the Linz made a false start in spring.
Just a short break
There is no time to mop up, on Wednesday (8.30 p.m.) you will be guests at the Sixth WAC, six points behind. “We get the opportunity to mend it,” said Schlager. Before that (6.30 p.m.), Salzburg will host SV Guntamatic Ried in Wals / Siezenheim. Rapid is already in action on Tuesday (8.30 p.m.). The Hütteldorfer meet spusu SKN St. Pölten in Vienna.
