Austria on a title course? Five victories in series and the next opponent are waiting!
Austria on a title course? Five victories in series and the next opponent are waiting!
The Wiener Austria is currently experiencing an upward movement in the Bundesliga. After the “violets” have often been under pressure in the past, they most recently celebrated five victories in a row and thus catapulted themselves into third place in the table. On Sunday at 5 p.m., the duel against Hartberg is now on the program, where the sixth victory is sought. At the same time, the WAC Altach received, and the GAK competes in Linz - both games start at 2:30 p.m.
The last similar success run with six lig victories in a row goes back to the 2012/13 season. Despite the positive development, there are no concrete title ambitions, but coach Stephan Helm expresses himself optimistic: "The players hold together and have developed a great team culture." However, he warns against being blinded by the winning streak because there is still room for improvement: "We are not yet at the goal." Those responsible used the international break to carry out a comprehensive analysis to continue the positive trend. Helm is already expecting the first progress against Hartberg.
The strengths of Hartberg
The Hartberger, under coach Manfred Schmid, also showed an increasing form and won five victories in the first eight games with just two defeats. In addition to the sporting successes, the city also has to report positive news, since the stadium atmosphere is upgraded with financial support from the state of Styria in order to meet the requirements of the Bundesliga in the future.
The last five home games against Hartberg each brought a win for Austria, but Helm also knows about the danger of the guests: "They combine well, have creative ideas and dribble -strong players. However, we are well prepared and want to take their strengths." The Generali-Arena remains an impregnable fortress for the Viennese this season.
The location at WAC and Altach
on the Altachs on the side there are some personnel problems. Sofian Bahloul is not available due to private obligations and Sandro Ingolitsch is blocked. In addition, two players, Gustavo Santos and Lincoln, are injured and do not take part in the training. Trainer Fabio Ingolitsch remains optimistic and believes that despite the difficulties, a turn is possible: "We had the chances, but luck was not on our side." The team had to interrupt the last training session due to strong snowfall, so that the final training was held in Salzburg on Saturday.
At the same time, Gerald Scheiblehner sits on the coaching bench from Blau-Weiß Linz, despite considerations for a move to Grasshoppers Zurich. He focuses entirely on the upcoming home game against GAK after his team last celebrated an impressive 2-0 win against Salzburg. However, GAK coach Rene Poms expects a balanced game that will depend on small details that decide the outcome of the game. He speaks of a good dose of intensity and duel hardness that will bring both teams into the match.