Styria

30. August 2024

Ilzer looks forward to the mandatory task of WSG Tirol © APA/ERWIN SCHERIAU

There is no doubt about the situation. Double winners Sturm Graz have their fourth Bundesliga win in a row and are planning to extend their excellent record against WSG Tirol on Saturday. Austria Klagenfurt are unbeaten against Blau-Weiß Linz in seven competitive matches. And yet there is also a lot going for the visitors – such as the 3-0 win against Rapid last week. In Hartberg, the bottom team will host the second-to-last GAK.

“We will prepare ourselves well for WSG in order to continue where we left off in terms of results,” announced Sturm coach Christian Ilzer before the fifth round match (7.30 p.m.). With a win, the defending champions would at least take the lead in the table until Salzburg’s appearance at Rapid on Sunday. Ilzer predicted another week of steps forward.

Ilzer didn’t want to hear anything about a sure-fire win on Saturday. The WSG presented itself as a strong team under new coach Philipp Semlic, especially in the build-up third. “Against opponents like that, you have to be good against the ball, but also constantly build up pressure with the ball.”

The visiting coach is facing an emotional match. “I would be lying if I said it wasn’t a special game for me,” said Semlic. The Styrian coach of the Tyroleans worked in the Sturm academy from 2017 to 2020. He is really looking forward to the duel, emphasized the 41-year-old Graz resident, but it is not about the coach’s sensitivities. “We will see how far we have come and how we can use our style of football against a top-top opponent.”

The record clearly speaks against his team. Sturm has not lost any of its twelve games against Wattens. Ten games have been won, including all six home games. Ilzer’s team recently won four times in a row. However, the Tyrolean coach in each of these games was Thomas Silberberger.

In the duel between Klagenfurt and Linz, Peter Pacult has great respect for the Upper Austrians. “They have developed further compared to last year, which is no surprise, because coach Scheiblehner is doing an excellent job,” emphasized the Klagenfurt coach.

His team achieved its first league win of the season a week ago, and after the 1-0 win at WSG Tirol, there was great relief. “This has given us confidence. The team is developing well, the curve is now slowly pointing upwards. But it is clear that we still have a lot of work to do before everything fits together again after the huge upheaval in the summer,” said Pacult.

In connection with Austria Klagenfurt, Blau-Weiß coach Gerald Scheiblehner spoke of a “very difficult nut that we have to crack here. Nevertheless, we are going to Klagenfurt with very, very good results and a broad chest and want to play for victory there too,” announced Scheiblehner.

In Hartberg, the last team welcomes the second to last team: For the hosts, who have only played three games, and GAK, who are one point ahead, it is important to gain points on Saturday (5 p.m.) at the start of the 5th round. Both teams want to build on their landslide victories in the 2nd ÖFB Cup round. Hartberg won 6-0 in Lafnitz, while GAK even beat SVG Reichenau-Innsbruck 9-0.

“Nine goals are not an everyday occurrence, even against a regional league team, so it was good,” said GAK coach Gernot Messner. In the league, they had previously not been specific enough in the opponent’s penalty area or had been too careless with their chances. “That is what we want and need to improve,” said the 43-year-old. But the promoted team also needs to improve in defense. The only time they didn’t concede a goal was in the 0-0 draw at WSG Tirol, otherwise they conceded between two and four, the latter most recently in the 2-4 defeat in Wolfsberg.

The Hartberg team want to present themselves as an unpleasant opponent in the first duel between the two teams at professional level. “We are all excited about Saturday, we want to take the momentum from the cup game with us and keep the three points in Hartberg under all circumstances,” said TSV offensive player Donis Avdijaj. Coach Markus Schopp is also hoping for this. “Last against second to last, the conditions are clear. We are playing at home, we want to play a really good game and try to concentrate fully on ourselves.”

They want to do much better than they have done well in recent weeks. “If we manage to do that, we will most likely win the game,” said the Styrian. His team, which has gone four games without a win at home, was recently without a game in the league due to the postponement of the Salzburg match. The only one unable to play is long-term injured Elias Havel. In addition to Martin Kreuzriegler, Markus Rusek is also missing from GAK. The midfielder will have to be out for between two and three months due to a syndesmosis ligament injury to his left ankle.