Seventh round in the Austrian Bundesliga: SCR Altach welcomes FC Blau-Weiß Linz. We report live – see ticker below.
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The two most accurate strikers in the Bundesliga will meet in Altach on Saturday (5 p.m.). Altach’s Gustavo Santos leads the list of scorers with six goals, ahead of Blau-Weiß-Linz veteran Ronivaldo with five. No other Bundesliga player has scored more than three goals so far. Linz travel to Vorarlberg as a surprise fourth place, but are still waiting for their first away win of the season.
Image: GEPA
Blau-Weiß has not dropped a point in its own stadium this season. This is also thanks to 35-year-old Ronivaldo, who has scored five goals in the last four league matches – including the 1-0 winner in the home derby against LASK. Santos, seven years younger, also scored last week in the 1-1 draw against GAK. Both goalscorers are Brazilian-born, but Ronivaldo has been an Austrian citizen since February after living in the country for more than eleven years.
A 0-0 draw is not to be expected in the “Ländle”. Both teams have scored in all six league games so far. Only two of Altach’s eight goals were scored by players who do not go by the name of Gustavo Santos Costa. Blau-Weiß also has a lot to thank the opponent’s striker for: In June 2023, he scored under his then stage name Gustavo Balotelli for FC Dornbirn in a 1-1 draw in the last round of the second division against GAK. The result enabled the Linz team to be promoted to the Bundesliga.
Image: GEPA/GEPA pictures
Since then, Blue-White has not lost against Altach in the league, and Ronivaldo won the last duel in April in Linz with a brace (2:1). “We know how difficult the task is, but we are also aware of our strengths,” stressed coach Gerald Scheiblehner. “After the recent performances in our own stadium, we want to reach our limits away from home as well.” There, Blue-White’s season haul is still meager, with one point from three games.
In addition to the suspended Paul Mensah, Scheiblehner is also missing Conor Noß and, above all, goalkeeper Radek Vitek. Instead of the Czech loanee from Manchester United, veteran Andreas Lukse will guard the goal. Apart from the long-term injured players, Altach coach Joachim Standfest can draw on a full squad. These are good signs that a home win will move them from seventh place to overtake Linz after three rounds without a win.
“Blau-Weiß Linz has started the championship very well and has shown that it can stand up to opponents and win everywhere. We are facing a very strong opponent who is very uncompromising. We absolutely have to hold our own if we want to keep the three points,” said Standfest. Last season there were very close duels. “We have a very similar style of play and assume that we will have to fight hard for every inch.”
The SCRA coach also knows that the strikers could make the difference. “You can never lose sight of Ronivaldo. But we hardly let anything through in the last few rounds, so we’ll get him under control too,” said the Styrian. And up front you can rely on Santos. “We also have a striker who scores very well,” stressed Standfest. Whether that’s enough for the first win after three games with a 1:2 at Sturm Graz and two 1:1 draws against Wiener Austria and GAK remains to be seen.
More about this article can be found on krone.at
