Five days after the all-clear Champions League end, Red Bull Salzburg don’t want to let the first pursuer, Sturm Graz, have any doubts about their own strength. In view of the 1:7 in Munich, the “Bulls” want to make a clear statement, with a win in the 23rd round they could already be twelve points ahead of the Styrians. “We have to get back on track as soon as possible and tick off the Bayern game,” demanded coach Matthias Jaissle beforehand.
“Salzburg will be looking for rehabilitation after Tuesday,” suspected Sturm coach Christian Ilzer, whose team is tied with second-placed WAC in third place. “We have to be there from the very first second. We have to go into the game with the appropriate confidence in our own strengths and also develop the right strategies,” said Ilzer, setting the direction for his team.
Only seven days after the thriller between Rapid Vienna and Austria Klagenfurt, the reunion will take place on Sunday at Wörthersee. Rapids’ 3-0 win last Sunday brought both teams into the championship group, and the focus is on the international starting places. “We think very clearly in European terms. That’s our goal, but not a sure-fire success,” said Rapid coach Ferdinand Feldhofer.
The “bonus round” has now started for the promoted team from Klagenfurt. Free up is the motto of Peter Pacult’s team, which has so far more than fulfilled expectations. With this looseness, the Carinthians can now aim for fifth place, which – depending on the result of the cup final – will probably be enough for participation in the play-off for a European Cup starting place.
The start in the master group also brings a quick reunion for Wiener Austria and WAC. Two weeks after Vienna’s dramatic 1-0 home win due to Georg Teigl’s injury, the two teams face off again in the Generali Arena. Austria wants to extend the elation after reaching the top six, the Wolfsberger show no weaknesses before the difficult tasks ahead. Because the Lavanttalers have to play Salzburg twice next week, first in the ÖFB Cup, then in the upcoming Bundesliga round.
WAC coach Robin Dutt didn’t want to look ahead to his side’s English week just yet. He attested to Austria’s good development, the duels between the two teams were balanced. “These are equal games,” said Dutt. His counterpart Manfred Schmid sensed a “huge spirit of optimism” in the club and in the team. The Austria coach has managed to transform his team into a compact unit. After four wins in a row, the goal is clear: “It’s clear that we want to go to Europe, it’s not paid vacation,” said Schmid.
Also on Sunday is the opening match of LASK in the qualifying group. In Pasching, the people of Linz welcome the WSG Tirol. After the bitter miss of the master group and the clear 1: 4 defeat in the Europa Conference League round of 16 first leg at Slavia Prague, self-confidence is not that great. But the eighth-placed Linzers have ten laps to overtake their Upper Austrian rivals SV Ried, who would currently be in seventh place in the European Cup play-off of the league. That is the goal.
If LASK coach Andreas Wieland has his way, things should go uphill quickly. “Against Slavia you saw what self-confidence is all about. That’s why it’s now important for us to gain self-confidence, collect points, show good performances, score goals and prevent goals from being conceded,” said the 38-year-old. WSG coach Thomas Silberberger still hopes for at least a draw. “A point in Linz at the start of the qualifying group would certainly be very helpful for us.” The botched LASK performance against Slavia encourages the Tyrolean. “Anyone who has seen that has also seen that they have problems somewhere, that there is a reason why they are in the qualifying round this year. Nevertheless, LASK is the absolute favorite in the group.”
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