5.04.2024 19:06
(Akt. 5.04.2024 21:31)
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The steadfast men urgently need three points to gain breathing room in the relegation battle.
Austrian Bundesliga 2023/2024
Football, qualifying group, 3rd matchday
The live ticker from the game Altach vs WSG Tirol
Cashpoint SCR Altach – WSG Tirol Friday
Altach, Cashpoint Arena, 7.30 p.m., SR Sebastian Gishamer
WSG Tirol won the last duel in the Bundesliga against SCR Altach 5-1, which was the first WSG win after seven winless BL duels against Altach (3D 4L). The WSG has never won higher in the Bundesliga.
For the first time in the Bundesliga, SCR Altach drew four games in a row. As a result, Altach has been unbeaten in four BL games – the first time that long since March/April 2022 (5 games back then).
WSG Tirol only lost one of their last four games in the Bundesliga (W2 D1), after losing three of their previous four BL games (W1). For the second time in this BL season, the WSG remained unbeaten in two games in a row (W1 D1), previously this was only the case in rounds 4 and 5 – the last time the Tyroleans remained unbeaten for longer was from October 2022 to February 2023 (6 games). .
WSG Tirol is the only team in this year’s qualifying group in the Bundesliga that was able to win its first two games (2-1 against Lustenau). The three goals scored are also the current best in the qualifying group.
WSG Tirol (3.3) and SCR Altach (3.1) achieved the highest xG value in the Bundesliga in the first two games of this year’s qualifying group. With 28 shots, Altach even fired the most of all 12 teams in the two rounds since the league split.
After nine competitive games without a win, SCR Altach is longing for a sense of success. If three points are scored on Friday (7.30 p.m./live Sky) at the start of the 25th round of the Bundesliga against WSG Tirol, a big step towards staying in the league would have been taken. But the Tyroleans, who are tied on points, travel to Vorarlberg with the same goal and with self-confidence, as the gap to bottom team Lustenau was increased to five points with a 2-1 win.
“It was important that we gained the gap of five points. Feeling confident now would be the biggest mistake we could make. We definitely have to score a few more points,” said WSG coach Thomas Silberberger. Also involved in the four-way battle against relegation is promoted team Blau-Weiß Linz, which, like WSG and Altach, has eleven points with eight rounds to go. “That’s why every game sets the trend,” emphasized the Tyrolean.
Thanks to the success in Bregenz against Lustenau, his team is “blessed with self-confidence” and competing in the country again is a good fit. “Last week the pressure was excessive, now we are no longer traveling to Vorarlberg under extreme pressure, but with a sense of success behind us,” said Silberberger, looking ahead optimistically. It is important to leave Vorarlberg undefeated on Friday evening. “One point would be okay,” emphasized the WSG coach. His respect is great; Altach’s results would not fully reflect their achievements in 2024.
The Rheindörflers’ big shortcoming was the exploitation of opportunities. In the nine games without a win there were only six goals, most recently in the 0-0 draw at WAC – the fourth draw in a row – none. Now another striker, Gustavo Santos, is out. The Brazilian has to take a break for two weeks due to a “small torn muscle fiber”. Veteran Atdhe Nuhiu will be in the starting line-up as a substitute, as coach Joachim Standfest confirmed. He is available again after his suspension, as is defensive player Lukas Gugganig. Standfest called for people to “continue working as normal” on the way to an end to the negative series.
An improvement in the game with the ball and in finishing are important factors in the duel with the Tyroleans, who, according to Standfest, have “entered play-off mode”. “You don’t intentionally miss, it just happens that we don’t hit the goal. But I’m still in good spirits because at some point the button will definitely open,” said Altach offensive player Christian Gebauer before the duel with his former club. In each of the previous season duels, the home team prevailed. Thanks to a goal from Lukas Fadinger in the 97th minute, Altach celebrated a 1-0 win, the WSG clearly won 5-1.
A division of points would not be a big surprise, as five of six previous games in the qualifying group ended without a winner. “It wouldn’t surprise me if three more were added on this match day,” said Silberberger.
Table before the 3rd matchday: 1. Austria Vienna 18; 2. Wolfsberg 17; 3. Altach 11; 4. BW Linz 11; 5. Tyrol 11; 6. Austria Lustenau 6;