Patrick Penz is solid as a rock at Wiener Austria. But even a stone like the one in the gate cannot regulate everything. The most recent Bundesliga games have shown that: What turned out lightly in the derby against Rapid at the end of November thanks to several brilliant parades (1: 1) was no longer enough in the subsequent encounters with Sturm Graz (0: 4) and Wolfsberg (2: 3) . Of course, Penz is not to blame. It was and is rather the performance of the team itself that is currently causing irritation for coach Peter Stöger and the supporters. It’s not the will, but rather the concentration, which has been revealed in incorrect counter-pressing, technical inadequacies and unnecessary fouls: The recent defeats against Sturm, where only a red card against Dominik Fitz triggered the fireworks of the Graz team, and against the WAC, when they gave away the decisive penalty for 2: 3 in stoppage time, cannot be explained.
It’s quite possible that a little has come together lately. The ongoing state of emergency corona may be just as bad for your mental armaments as the bad news from the violet management that you are faced with an unprecedented financial challenge. After all, 18.84 million euros, the highest loss ever reported by a club in Austria, is not nothing. Likewise, the reversal in equity from plus 4.1 to minus 14.5 million euros. The fact that CFO Markus Kraetschmer is now desperately looking for an investor does not exactly guarantee confidence in times of the pandemic.
tipico, Bundesliga, 12th round
Saturday:
Hartberg – Altach 5 p.m.
Sturm – St. Pölten 5.00 p.m.
Admira – Rapid 17.00 Uhr
Sunday:
Salzburg – WAC 2.30 p.m.
WSG Tirol – Ried 2.30 p.m.
Austria – LASK 5pm
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Missing European Cup millions, empty spectator stands and high stadium costs have just as merciless effect on the overall condition of the club as missed points and a lack of concentration. It doesn’t help to jealously squint at supposed underdogs like Hartberg and Wolfsberg. Or to gloss over the performance, as ex-coach Christian Ilzer once did: “We took a slightly different route, the route over the mountain roads. Hartberg drove on the autobahn.” Now the condition of the “road” is not everything, it depends on the engine.
Wrestling for the winter crown
To get this engine going again in the upcoming league game against Linz ASK on Sunday (5 p.m. / Sky) is therefore also the main goal of Stöger and Co. This is not only important from a sporting point of view, but above all psychologically, especially those currently on Austria, resting in ninth place in the table, only three points separate Admira from bottom of the table. To make the leap into the championship round, six points are currently missing. “It will be a difficult task for us on Sunday”, Stöger explained in an online conversation and praised the LASK as a stable and high-level opponent. But he still has the hope “that we can take something with us and not punish ourselves with mistakes,” said Stöger.
That will be difficult enough, especially since LASK will do everything possible to secure the winter crown with a win and a little luck. For this, champions Red Bull Salzburg would have to lose to WAC on Sunday (2.30 p.m. / Sky). But coach Jesse Marsch naturally didn’t want to know anything about that on Friday. “Our goal is to win and stay ahead of the table,” he said. Big changes in personnel are not to be expected compared to the 6: 2 in the Cup round of 16 against Rapid.
Speaking of Rapid: Even if the arch-rival stumbles from favorites, then Schadenfreude is not appropriate in view of the cup-out and fourth place in the table. Likewise, it would be wrong to expect three points in the last game of the year against Admira Wacker on Saturday evening (5 p.m. / Sky). Just how damaging arrogance can be is what Leader Salzburg, of all people, learned when he suffered a 1-0 defeat in Südstadt 14 days ago. Whereby: poor concentration and mistakes were not the problem here, but the fact that a B-Eleven was at work due to the European Cup. An impression that may be familiar to many a purple fan.
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