Styrian derby ticker

Sturm Graz vs TSV Hartberg – LIVE from 14:30

Can Sturm respond to the setbacks?

(Bild: Pail Sepp/Sepp Pail)

30th round in the Austrian Bundesliga: SK Sturm Graz face TSV Hartberg in the Styrian derby after winning the cup. We report live, see ticker below. The score is currently 0:1.

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After the cup win is before the championship final: Sturm Graz go into the last three rounds of the Bundesliga with a three-point lead over defending champions Red Bull Salzburg, with TSV Hartberg visiting Graz on Sunday. The "Blackys" only celebrated on a low flame on Wednesday, because the second double in the club's history is now the declared goal of the team of successful coach Christian Ilzer. "If you say in Austria that you want to win the double, it's like Salzburg saying they want to win the Champions League," said Ilzer, explaining how high the domestic title grapes usually hang. However, the Styrians have grown enormously in recent years. "We have manifested that in their minds, that they believe in it," said the successful coach about the mental work with his players.

The month of April really worked out for Graz, May started as a spring dream: five competitive match wins and a draw (the 2:2 in Salzburg) were finally crowned on Labor Day with the successful defense of the Cup title against Rapid. Seven points from the remaining three league games are now needed to surpass this once again. The opponents are Hartberg, LASK and Klagenfurt.

Sturm coach Christian Ilzer

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

The season finale kicks off with the Styrian derby in front of a sold-out crowd, and TSV should certainly not be a stumbling block. They have won two and drawn one of their three games so far this season, and won 3-1 in Hartberg three weeks ago. Tiredness and wear and tear from the last few weeks in England should be compensated for by the best possible regeneration and motivation, and Ilzer will not be making any major rotations.

Hartberg travel to the provincial capital with a 3-2 home win against Klagenfurt behind them and will be looking to surprise as underdogs. "We're playing a team that's making history on Sunday, but that's what we're doing. And we want to continue writing our history," explained TSV coach Markus Schopp.

Hartberg coach Markus Schopp

(Bild: Sepp Pail)

"..., then we would be wrong three rounds before the end"
The sporting path has led Hartberg to fourth place in the championship group for the time being, two points ahead of Rapid and Klagenfurt. This position is to be maintained in the remaining games - after Sturm, Salzburg and Rapid await. "At the end of the day, there are three games with nine possible points. We're aiming for all nine. That may sound presumptuous. But if we didn't have the drive to defend this place with everything we've got, then we'd be wrong with three rounds to go," said Schopp.

The fact that his team can tip the scales in the championship duel doesn't matter to the 50-year-old. "The duel is certainly exciting for outsiders. But for us, it's about getting maximum points, regardless of whether it's against Sturm or Salzburg. Our goal must be to win all these games, because then I know we really have it in our hands to hold on to fourth place," said Schopp.