Bundesliga

Rapid Vienna against TSV Hartberg – LIVE from 5pm

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

TSV Hartberg have booked their place in the European Cup play-off final of the Bundesliga under their own steam. The Styrians celebrated a 3-0 win at SK Rapid on Sunday at the end of the 32nd round to finish the season in fifth place. The Viennese remained equal on points in fourth place, as their points total was rounded off after the basic round. Hopes of a conciliatory end to the season were not fulfilled for the hosts at the Allianz Stadium.

Hartberg will now face the winner of Tuesday's semi-final between WAC and Vienna Austria on May 24 (7.30 pm/away) and May 28 (7.00 pm/home). The play-off winner will secure the last international starting place for next season. Donis Avdijaj (25') with his 12th goal of the season, Tobias Kainz (59') with his first goal of 2023/24 and Dominik Frieser (92') ensured a deserved away win. Three season duels with Rapid were won, including both in the west of Vienna after the 1:0 in the first game.

Robert Klauß

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

The Viennese side, who were without the injured one-man striker Guido Burgstaller, had the first chance of the game in front of 21,200 spectators, a shot from Matthias Seidl was too weak (4th). However, the visitors subsequently created more chances and it was clear that they were determined to secure their fifth place in the final without any help from the goalkeeper. Maximilian Fillafer failed to beat Niklas Hedl from an acute angle (13'), Mamadou Sangare shot over (18'). The attacking player on loan from Salzburg then played a key role in the opening goal. Avdijaj's lofted pass between Hedl's legs into the net.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Five minutes later, Rapid's goalkeeper managed to turn a Fillafer header over the crossbar. Whistles from the stands could be heard several times by then at the latest. The equalizer was only in the air twice. Christoph Lang's volley from the edge of the box was deflected into the corner with great difficulty by Raphael Sallinger. Nenad Cvetkovic then headed wide from the best position (both in the 42nd minute).

Top chances were in short supply after the break. The second goal for the Styrians came from a mistake by Rapi. Cvetkovic waited too long for a planned back pass, Kainz won the ball and scored into the far corner. The Viennese lacked the ideas to come close to scoring the equalizer. Hartberg added goal number three in the final stages. Frieser only had to push a Brückner cross over the line from close range.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

So it was not to be for Rapid, the victory they wanted to give themselves and their fans in the season finale, as coach Robert Klauß had said beforehand. It was also not nice for some of the players who were sent off on Sunday, such as Marco Grüll, who moved to Werder Bremen. This also continued an interesting series. In the six previous head-to-head meetings between the two teams after the division, the away team has always come out on top. Hartberg recorded the best result to date - fifth place from the 2019/20 season.

SK Rapid - TSV Hartberg Final score 0:3 (0:1)
Vienna, Allianz Stadium, 21,200 spectators, refereed by Hameter.

Goals: 
0:1 (25.) Avdijaj 
0:2 (59.) Kainz 
0:3 (92.) Frieser

Rapid: N. Hedl - Schick (77. Moormann), Querfeld, Cvetkovic (77. Hofmann), Kasanwirjo - M. Seidl, M. Oswald (62. Kerschbaum), Sattlberger, Grüll - Mayulu (46. Jansson), Lang (62. Dursun)

Hartberg: Sallinger - Heil, Komposch, Bowat, Pfeifer (90. Brückner) - Diakite (71. Providence), Kainz (90. Halwachs) - Frieser, Sangare, Fillafer (90. Prokop) - Avdijaj

Yellow cards: Sattlberger and Schopp (coach)

Comments:

Robert Klauß (Rapid coach): "We have to clearly analyze why it's like this, but we simply don't have enough players on the pitch who consistently deliver their performance. We've had some tough defeats this season, including the one today. It wasn't worthy of what we can and want to do. We've had a lot of ups and downs, so we have to make sure we find the right adjustments in the summer."

Markus Schopp (Hartberg coach): "Considering where we started last year, with the upheaval, I wasn't sure how it would go. But in the end it was a great story from day one, how we developed. The fact that we made it into the championship group and how we sold ourselves there is not something that can be taken for granted for a club like Hartberg."