On Sunday (5 p.m., Sky), Vienna Austria will be looking to make a brilliant start to the new Bundesliga season after their early exit from the European Cup against BW-Linz.
Even before the Bundesliga season starts, unpleasant questions are being raised at Austria Vienna. The early exit from the European Cup fuelled criticism of the decisions made by the sporting management. A successful experience at Blau-Weiß Linz on Sunday (from 5 p.m. in the Sport24 live ticker) would also take the pressure off new coach Stephan Helm.
Dragovic not yet on the pitch
The 41-year-old found it difficult to explain the defeat against Ilves Tampere in the Conference League qualification. Helm’s talk of a “double burden” caused some questioning faces. Last weekend, Austria played in the first round of the ÖFB Cup against regional league team FC Pinzgau Saalfelden and led 4-0 after 40 minutes. The exhaustion should have been manageable.
In Linz, the defense, which was full of holes against Ilves, should be more stable again, even if the new defensive leader, Aleksandar Dragovic, is still missing. The veteran, who was signed at the start of the week, is still behind in training. “Of course, you have to address things clearly, we simply have to do our job better in defense, there is no two opinions about that. On the other hand, we also know that our attacking players are always good for goals and assists when they have confidence,” said Helm.
Helm: “The players are eager to start the Bundesliga”
The offensive power mentioned above should give Austria confidence. Maurice Malone and Nik Prelec, who were brought in in the summer, could prove to be the reinforcements they are looking for, and Abubakr Barry also performed well in midfield. Helm and his team only want to look forward. “The players are now eager to start the Bundesliga, know how important the first games are and want to take the first points straight away,” he said. They are well prepared for the blue and white team. “Ultimately, however, it is essential that we do our homework.”
Linz is still waiting for a win against Austria since its promotion to the Bundesliga last year. The Blue-Whites suffered three defeats and one draw after last season. Gerald Scheiblehner nevertheless attracted attention from the Violets. However, he turned down the coaching job in Vienna.
Scheiblehner expects “difficult game”
“I had and still have a good feeling about the decision to stay with Blau-Weiß. I feel very comfortable there. We really built something and were successful. The people in charge at Austria and I talked, and we had very good discussions. But some issues remained open, which is why the move didn’t happen in the end,” Scheiblehner explained looking back.
Of the new players brought in in the summer, defenders Martin Moormann and Anderson and winger Thomas Goiginger are likely to start against Austria. Scheiblehner expected a “difficult game” against a team that belongs in the top six in terms of squad. “They want and need to show a reaction after their European Cup exit. But we are only looking at ourselves. We have a very good feeling in the team,” said Scheiblehner. “We all believe that we will win this game.”
Possible setup
Blau-Weiß: Schmid – Anderson, Maranda, Moormann, Pirkl – Dobras, Pasic, Briedl – Goiginger, Ronivaldo, NoßAustria: Sahin-Radlinger – Ranftl, Plavotic, Meisl – Pazourek, Barry, Fischer, Perez Vinlöf – Fitz – Prelec, Malone
