Bundesliga in the TICKER

LIVE from 5pm: Red Bull Salzburg vs Hartberg

The consolation goal for Hartberg. Or is there more in it?

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Matchday 23 in Austria's Bundesliga: FC Red Bull Salzburg face TSV Hartberg to kick off the Champions League round. We report live (see below). The score is currently 4:1.

Here is the LIVETICKER:

For some it's dry normality, for others it's a roaring celebration. Today, league leaders Salzburg welcome Hartberg, who are in the Champions Group for the second time, to kick off the second phase of the season and are not expected to be a stumbling block on their way to their eleventh consecutive league title. The lead over Sturm Graz is just two points after the points split. "It's all about putting in a good performance from game one," emphasized coach Gerhard Struber. After three wins in a row, Salzburg want to send a signal to Graz right at the start of the championship group. "It's important in the long term (...) to give every game the necessary attention, to approach every game with great concentration and not to look too far ahead to the championship title," Struber appealed to his players. "At the same time, you have to have fun and develop a flow. Then things will go our way in the end."

Gerhard Struber

(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

"It's about nipping their work in the bud!"
Struber is aware of the lightness of being in Hartberg. "Hartberg can go into the championship group without any pressure and play off the cuff," emphasized the 47-year-old ahead of his 30th competitive match as Salzburg coach. But there is also danger in terms of play. "They followed a clear game plan, which they implemented convincingly. Everyone knows how to do their job. But we also know how we have to operate against such a strong, positional team. It's about nipping their work in the bud."

In any case, his squad have been very diligent in their defensive work this season. Only twelve goals conceded after 22 rounds is a record for the league leaders. "That's very important for us and gives us hope for the upcoming games. We're putting a lot of our mentality into play, especially against the ball, and we're implementing it very well. In this respect, the team is doing a lot of things right and is performing at a very high level." While the opponents are complete in terms of personnel, Struber still has to give up some of his players. Compared to the recent 1-0 win at LASK, there is only one change. Left-back Aleksa Terzic has been suffering from muscular problems since the trip to Linz, and as veteran Andreas Ulmer is also unlikely to return until after the international break, Daouda Guindo will probably fill the position.

Markus Schopp

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

"We've always sold ourselves very expensively!"
Although Hartberg want to take the good mood into the championship group, they are far from content with what they have achieved. In fifth place in the table, the East Styrians are level on points with third-placed LASK, so a European Cup starting place is realistic. Hartberg have only played an EC qualifier once before, in the 2020/21 season, when they were eliminated by Polish side Piast Gliwice. "Our goal now is to earn an international place," said captain Jürgen Heil, setting out the direction. Coach Markus Schopp is not only relying on the mental high of the favorites, but also on their playing strengths, with which they have already been able to put the Bulls, among others, to the sword over the course of the season.

Although they have not scored in any of their three games, they were only knocked out in the Cup round of 16 on penalties. "We've always sold ourselves very expensively in the games so far," Schopp emphasized on Sky. Reaching the championship group is both a reward and a mission. "We have to confirm that against Salzburg and send out a signal that we're not just a contender against a team like that, but that we can also get a good result." It would, of course, be a rare moment. In the 14 encounters between the two teams to date, Salzburg have won 13 and drawn one.