ADMIRAL Bundesliga Matchday 20 Reviews

FC Red Bull Salzburg 7-0 SC Austria Lustenau

FC Red Bull Salzburg celebrated their first league victory of 2024 with a thumping seven-goal rout of hapless SC Austria Lustenau. The league leaders completely overwhelmed the ADMIRAL Bundesliga’s bottom club and were already four goals up at the break, before adding a trio more in the second period to record their biggest margin of victory in the league since May 2019.

Brazilian forward Fernando opened the scoring in the fourth minute by lunging in from close range, which was quickly followed by an unfortunate Matheus Lins own goal nine minutes later. Maurits Kjaergaard made it three in the 18th minute to finish a nicely worked move, with Fernando adding the fourth on the half hour mark - his first league goals in over a year. Oscar Gloukh added his name to the scoresheet (54’) with a lashed right foot shot into the bottom corner for Salzburg’s fifth, but they weren’t done with Africa Cup of Nations champion Karim Konate coolly adding a sixth (72’)  before the final insult to injury; a Matthias Maak own goal as a result of a huge deflection for the final seventh goal in the 88th minute.

Another day to forget for Lustenau who continue their abysmal form, whilst Gerhard Struber’s men remain top of the table for another week.

LASK 0-1 RZ Pellets WAC

The one year anniversary celebrations of LASK’s Raiffeisen Arena were disrupted by Thierno Ballo’s converted penalty enough to steal three valuable points for RZ Pellets WAC in their hunt for a place in the Championship Group. For LASK, who are still winless in 2024, they might be nervously looking over their shoulder as all four teams below picked up a victory on Matchday 20.

Despite a promising start from the Linzers, the crucial moment of the match came in the 14th minute after full-back George Bello caught Dominik Baumgartner in the penalty area - the resulting spotkick was lashed into the top left corner by Thierno Ballo for the lead. LASK’s job grew harder Robert Zulj, returning to the squad after an illness, was shown his marching orders with a mistimed tackle on Baumgartner after a VAR check (27’). The Wolves could’ve doubled their lead immediately but Adis Jasic blasted over from a short distance. On the hour mark, Ballo had another opportunity to score but a superb tackle from Andres Andrade denied the Wolfsberg forward.

With time running out, Philipp Ziereis was unable to take advantage of a free header in the box as LASK’s final opportunity went awry and saw the Upper Austrians’ record their first home defeat of the season and lose extra ground on the top two.

CASHPOINT SCR Altach 1-2 TSV Egger Glas Hartberg

Markus Schopp couldn’t have asked for a better 50th birthday present as his TSV Egger Glas Hartberg side took a giant step into the Championship Group qualification with a comeback victory in Vorarlberg. Despite Mike-Steven Bähre’s first half opener for the hosts, the Styrians overturned the deficit via Dominik Frieser and Donis Avdijaj to move within a point of third spot in the ADMIRAL Bundesliga standings.

After a back and forth first half, the deadlock was broken when a dangerous counter attack from Altach utilising Vesel Demaku, Christian Gebauer and Gustavo Santos, with the latter laying the ball off to Bähre to direct it into the near post for the opener (40’). Gebauer came close immediately after, but the complexion of the game changed just before half-time after Santos hacked down Jurgen Heil from behind to see a straight red card.

The Hartberg equaliser finally came in the 67th minute as Heil’s mazy run found Freiser on the right who fired in with purpose. Then, with only six minutes remaining, Altach were caught in possession in the midfield and the ball came to Frieser on the left flank who directed across the six-yard box into the path of Avdijaj who couldn’t miss.

SK Austria Klagenfurt 2-0 FC Blau Weiß Linz

SK Austria Klagenfurt moved up to fourth in the ADMIRAL Bundesliga table, and importantly secured all three points, as a brace from 19-year-old winger Aaron Sky Schwarz dispatched of Blau Weiß Linz at the 28 Black Arena.

The Rapid Vienna loanee came on due to an injury to influential goalgetter Sinan Karweina on the half hour mark and made almost an immediate impact by benefitting hugely from a mistake by Julian Gölles who let a pass roll past him and directly into Schwarz’ path for a comfortable finish (39’). Linz boss Gerald Scheiblehner, celebrating his 47th birthday, made some needed changes at the break but only saw attempts from Conor Noß and Gölles as the Blue and Whites failed to land a blow on Klagenfurt. The victory was assured in the 71st minute as substitute Max Besuschkow assisted Schwarz beautifully to finish with ease in the penalty area.

The victory means that Austria Klagenfurt look odds on to compete in the Championship Group for a third consecutive season, whilst Blau-Weiß remain in ninth and will play in the Qualification Group.

WSG Tirol 0-2 SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz

Sturm Graz’s successful week was capped off with a comfortable two-goal victory away at WSG Tirol on Sunday afternoon. Only four days after their UEFA Europa Conference League progression against Slovan Bratislava, Christian Ilzer’s side picked up all three points to remain only two points behind league leaders Red Bull Salzburg.

It didn’t take long for Sturm to wrap up the victory with both goals coming in the opening 12 minutes via the impressive Arsenal loanee Mika Biereth manoeuvring the ball into the bottom corner and Jon Gorenc Stankovic heading home from in front of goal. WSG Tirol’s best chance fell to Matthaus Taferner who somehow blasted over the goal from a promising position, and Tomi Horvat could’ve added two more to the scoreline but both times struck the woodwork. Nik Prelec hit the post with a shot in the second half, before being fouled by Gregory Wüthrich on the hour to see a straight red card delivered to the Swiss defender.

Sturm Graz continue their remarkable top flight record against the Tyroleans,

SK Rapid Vienna 3-0 FK Austria Vienna

The 342nd Wiener Derby will go down in the history books for SK Rapid supporters with a stirring 3-0 victory producing their first ever derby victory at the Allianz Stadion, at the 12th attempt, in front of a sold-out crowd in Hütteldorf. First half strikes from Matthias Seidl, Guido Burgstaller and Marco Grüll made sure that Robert Klauß’s first Wiener Derby proved to be a successful one and placed FK Austria Vienna in serious danger of missing out on the Championship Group.

The Green and Whites started in the ascendancy and were rewarded with Seidl firing into the bottom corner from outside the area for the opener (18’). Only two minutes later, Grüll’s superb free-kick delivery found Burgstaller completely unmarked in the box to head home a second. Dominik Fitz tried to find an avenue back for the Violets and was unlucky to see his attempt strike the post. However, only minutes later Seidl played a brilliant throughball into the path of Grüll who rounded Mirko Kos and scored with his left to make it 3-0.

Despite an improved second half, with Andreas Gruber, Muharem Huskovic and Manuel Polster all going close for Austria, there was simply no way back after Rapid’s first half domination and Hütteldorf could celebrate a first Wiener Derby victory since September 2019 and puts Rapid in the all-important sixth position going into the final two matchdays of the regular season.

Redakteur: The Other Bundesliga

Fotos: GEPA pictures