ADMIRAL Bundesliga Matchday 32 Reviews

Championship Group

SK Puntigamer Sturm Graz 2-0 SK Austria Klagenfurt

Sturm Graz sensationally became champions for the first time since 2011 and the fourth time in their history thanks to a home victory against Austria Klagenfurt on the final day of the campaign. The Grazers went into the game knowing that they either needed to win or match Salzburg’s result against LASK to get over the line, but Christian Ilzer’s charges initially struggled to break the deadlock against their Carinthian visitors, who were in bottom spot in the Championship Group but could theoretically still overtake fifth-placed Hartberg. Mika Biereth fired over the bar on the turn following David Schnegg’s long throw in the 42^nd minute and Tomi Horvat slotted William Böving’s cross into the box wide of the far post on the 48-minute mark. Böving saw his shot blocked by Phillip Menzel in the Klagenfurt goal (49) and Horvat curled an attempt from distance wide on the 62-minute mark. Then came the breakthrough: Horvat’s outswinging corner was headed home by Gregory Wüthrich in the 69^th minute, prompting wild celebrations in Graz-Liebenau. Klagenfurt’s Florian Jaritz’s then hit the foot of the post with a glancing header shortly afterwards, but Sturm eventually sealed the win when Alexander Prass drove forward in stoppage time and played the ball over to the left to Amady Camara, who fired a low shot into the net to seal the 2-0 win. Wild celebrations and beer showers followed the final whistle, before Sturm Graz lifted the Bundesliga title aloft to cap a double-winning season.

FC Red Bull Salzburg 7-1 LASK

The permutations were clear for Red Bull Salzburg prior to kick-off: win their final match of the season against LASK and hope for a slip-up from rivals Graz or their 10-season title-winning streak – the longest in Austrian football history and the second-longest ongoing run in Europe after Ludogorets in Bulgaria (13 consecutive titles) – would come to an end. The Red Bulls certainly did their part: Sékou Koïta drilled the ball low through a crowd of players to open the scoring on the seven-minute mark, before Luka Sui chipped an intercepted pass over Tobias Lawal to make it 2-0 barely 60 seconds later. Moses Usor then halved the deficit with a low left-footed strike from the edge of the box (25), only for Strahinja Pavlovi to restore the two-goal lead nine minutes before the break (36). Onur Cinel’s side then put the result beyond doubt with four goals in a17-minute spell in the second period: Sui slotted home from the penalty spot shortly after the hour mark, Karim Konaté converted Oscar Gloukh’s cross from close range (66), Koïta fired home a low, long-distance strike (71) and substitute Nene Dorgeles converted Gloukh’s simple ball through the defence to finish off the scoring at 7-1. But Salzburg’s second-biggest win of the season – surpassed only by their 7-0 thrashing of relegated Lustenau – was not enough to retain the title and they finished second for the first time since 2013.

SK Rapid 0-3 TSV Egger Glas Hartberg

Fifth-placed Hartberg capped an amazing season with a comfortable victory away to Rapid Vienna on the final day, although the capital club’s bonus point – they were rounded down at the split – meant that they could not be overtaken in fourth spot in the table. Orange-clad Hartberg, who needed at least a point to be sure of the European play-off spot, had the first proper chance to take the lead when Donis Avdijaj threaded the ball through to Maximilian Fillafer, whose effort was comfortably closed down by Niklas Hedl in the Rapid goal. But the Kosovan did break the deadlock midway through the opening half, latching onto Mamadou Sangaré’s through-ball and slotting through the legs of Hedl (25). Rapid almost levelled through Christoph Lang, whose low volley was brilliantly kept out by Hartberg goalie Raphael Sallinger before the break. In the second period, Hartberg doubled their lead close to the hour mark when Tobias Kainz chased down and robbed Nenad Cvetkovi before slotting home (59). The Styrians then rounded off their victory in stoppage time when Dominik Frieser tapped home Angelo Brückner’s low ball across the face of goal. Markus Schopp’s men will now face Austria Vienna or Wolfsberg in the final of the Bundesliga’s internal play-off.

Qualification Group

CASHPOINT SCR Altach 2-2 SC Austria Lustenau

There was little to play for other than pride for already-relegated Austria Lustenau in their final game of the Bundesliga season against regional rivals Altach. But they certainly showed plenty of heart, ending Altach’s perfect record in the Vorarlberg derby this season and coming within minutes of only their fifth victory of the campaign. The hosts opened the scoring, however, Gustavo Santos delicately heading Vesel Demaku’s curled ball over the top past Lustenau’s stand-in goalie Simon Nesler-Taubl in the 11th minute of the match. Lustenau came back into the game prior to the break and restored parity via a Matheus Lins header from a Ben Bobzien corner-kick in first-half stoppage time. They then took the lead themselves in the 63rd minute when Yadaly Diaby’s powerful strike beat the outstretched arms of Dejan Stojanovi and nestled in the back of the net. Unfortunately for coach Andreas Heraf’s charges, they could not quite hold onto the lead and were pegged back by Paul-Friedich Koller’s back-flick in the 89th minute. Altach finished the season fourth in the Qualification Group, while Austria Lustenau will be replaced in the top flight by Grazer AK next season.

RZ Pellets WAC 3-1 WSG Tirol

Wolfsberg beat WSG Tirol on the final day of the campaign to ensure that they stayed above Austria Vienna, won the Qualification Group and secured home advantage in the semi-final of the Bundesliga’s internal play-off, which will take place on the evening of Tuesday 21 May. But it was the Tyrolean visitors who had the better of the first-half chances in the final match of long-serving coach Thomas Silberberger’s 11-year tenure at the club. Slovenian forward Nik Prelec had a good opportunity denied by Lukas Gütlbauer, who then showed good reactions to keep out a Denis Tomic header. But the WAC shot-stopper was eventually beaten in first-half stoppage time when Felix Bacher headed home Matthäus Taferner’s in-swinging corner-kick. However, Bacher went from hero to villain three minutes after the break when his underhit backpass was intercepted and slotted home by Augustine Boakye. Simon Piesinger then headed home a corner by Ervin Omi (57), who went from provider to scorer in stoppage time when he spectacularly curled the ball into the top corner from range. By that point, the visitors were already down to nine men: Adam Stejskal was dismissed for touching the ball outside the box and Luca Kronberger was sent off for hacking down Maximilian Scharfetter.

FC Blau-Weiß Linz 1-2 FK Austria Wien

With Michael Wimmer dismissed as head coach in midweek following a four-match winless run and temporarily replaced in the dugout by Christian Wegleitner, Austria Vienna looked to have a new lease of life at the beginning of their match against Blau-Weiß Linz. The Violets took the lead with 12 minutes on the clock when Dominik Fitz slotted home from the spot after a penalty had been awarded for a mistimed challenge on Johannes Handl by Lukas Tursch. Reinhold Ranftl then had a great double chance, but saw his first effort kept out by BWL goalie Nicolas Schmid before blasting the follow-up over the bar. Manuel Maranda’s thunderbolt from range was then well saved by Austria goalie Christian Früchtl, whose team doubled their lead in the 54th minute of the game when Fisnik Asllani controlled a long throw from his keeper, turned sharply and threaded through to Fitz, who selflessly squared the ball for Alexander Schmidt to make it 2-0. Blau-Weiß did halve the deficit with 12 minutes to go, Simon Pirkl getting the better of Früchtl at the second attempt, but it was not enough to salvage a point. Blau-Weiß Linz ended their promotion campaign in third place in the Qualification Group, seven points behind runners-up Austria Vienna, who now take on Wolfsberg in the play-off.

Redakteur: The Other Bundesliga

Fotos: GEPA pictures