Hartberg continues to fight for the top 6: yellow-red mixes up the evidence!

In the exciting duel between TSV Hartberg and SK Austria Klagenfurt on Sunday, February 24, 2025, the Styrians did not bring home the points they had hoped for. The game ended goalless 0-0, which meant Hartberg lost an immense opportunity in the race for the Bundesliga championship group. This selective disillusionment is particularly important as Hartberg prevented them from overtaking Blau-Weiß Linz, who are currently sixth in the table. This was made all the more clear by the yellow-red card that was given to Paul Komposch (38th) after he lost his nerve in a harmless duel with Mike Bähre. Hartberg's coach Manfred Schmidt sharply criticized the decision: "A wrong decision... that destroyed the game," he said krone.at reported.

Komposch and the consequences

After being sent off, Hartberg had to play outnumbered for almost an hour. Despite the numerical superiority, Altach failed to gain control of the game. The hosts did have a few chances, including a dangerous shot from Mustapha, whose attempt was saved by goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger, who was in good spirits. A header from Estrada shortly before half-time was also unsuccessful. Hartberg, on the other hand, was disciplined in defense and was able to secure at least one point. Goalie Sallinger said: “We showed character in the second half” and was optimistic about the upcoming games, where they have to compete against WAC and Rapid kicker.de reported.

Overall, Hartberg now remains one point behind Linz in the Bundesliga table and has missed the chance to sneak closer to a place in the championship group. The fight for the best places is becoming more intense after this disappointing draw, while Altach was at least able to reduce the gap to eleventh-placed GAK to just two points. Despite the setbacks suffered, Hartberg reiterates that the coming games will be crucial in order not to lose sight of the annual goals.