Title thriller: Who will be champion? Sturm Graz, Austria or Salzburg?

Title thriller: Who will be champion? Sturm Graz, Austria or Salzburg?

In the Austrian Bundesliga The decisive phase of the title race begins. There are still seven rounds on the program in which three teams will fight hot duels for the championship trophy: Sturm Graz, Austria Vienna and RB Salzburg. After 25 rounds of play, Sturm Graz leads with 30 points, followed by Austria Vienna with 27 points and RB Salzburg with 25 points. The teams can still score a maximum of 21 points, which makes the starting position particularly exciting.

To win the title, Sturm Graz needs at least 49 points. The possible scenarios for coach Jürgen Säumel's team are promising: either seven wins or six wins and a draw and a maximum of one defeat. Sturm Graz could become champions after round 30 at the earliest, provided they win both games against Austria and also win against Salzburg.

Progress and challenges

Sturm Graz's current form supports their championship ambitions. The team last won away against Salzburg 2-1. However, coach Säumel emphasizes the challenges that still lie ahead, as there are “still seven rounds to play”. The last five league games have been decided with a goal difference of 7-3 in the last 20 minutes, indicating the team's strength in crucial phases. Jon Gorenc-Stankovic and Otar Kiteishvili have proven to be key players, with Kiteishvili scoring two goals against Salzburg.

But Austria Vienna also remains in the race. The team can achieve a maximum of 48 points, but to do so they have to win in the direct duels against Sturm Graz and hope for a weak performance from Sturm. The possible combinations for a title are similarly complex and require at least seven wins or a combination of wins and draws.

The pressure on Salzburg

The situation looks more difficult for RB Salzburg. In order to keep their sights on the title, the team needs a “miracle” and has to rely on mistakes from the competition. They can reach a maximum of 46 points and rely on not only winning their own game, but also hoping for the results of Sturm Graz and Austria Wien.

The rivalry between these three teams is further enhanced by their different strengths and weaknesses. While Sturm Graz is trying to convince its fans with good performances, Austria Vienna is fighting to keep up after a defeat in the Vienna derby against Rapid (0:2). President Christian Jauk is optimistic that Sturm Graz can overcome the challenges and announced the construction of a new training and youth center. This will be built on a 32,000 m² area in Puntigam and is intended to support the club's work in the long term.

The descent thriller

Parallel to the title fight, the relegation battle will also be exciting. In the league, some teams are under pressure to increase their points total in order to avoid slipping into the second division. The situation of clubs like 1. FC Nürnberg or Arminia Bielefeld in the bottom half of the table shows how quickly conditions in the league can change. It is crucial for the relegation candidates to get out of the danger zone while the top teams fight for the title.

In this exciting final phase of the... Bundesliga It becomes clear that every round can be decisive, both for the championship and for relegation, and fans can look forward to exciting games.

For a deeper analysis of the relegation situation you can use the information on the Relegation see.