Bundesliga in the ticker

Austria Klagenfurt v Grazer AK, LIVE from 5pm

Can GAK secure their first win in the Bundesliga since 2007?

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Will GAK finally get their first win on matchday eight of the domestic Bundesliga? In the away match against Austria Klagenfurt, the Styrians will at least make the next attempt. We'll be reporting live - see ticker below. 

Here in the live ticker:

When will we get our first win?
The knot won't burst. Promoted GAK are still waiting for their first win in the top flight since 2007, but they will now make their eighth attempt on Sunday (17:00). Their opponents at home in the Merkur Arena, Klagenfurt, are not likely to be overpowering, but the team at the bottom of the table in Graz is currently preoccupied with itself. "If you look at the table, it's not good news. We want to change that as quickly as possible," said coach Gernot Messner.

The Red Jackets have four points to their name so far, and a recent courageous performance against the resurgent LASK in a 4-2 defeat was not enough. Week after week, Messner has to resort to similar words to describe his team's performances. At the moment, he would also take a lucky, "dirty" win with a kiss on the hand. "I'd rather someone said that GAK didn't deserve to win, I wouldn't mind that either."

Continuing to strive for patience
The many goals conceded continue to concern the team. "I think we've conceded half of the 15 goals we've scored ourselves. We simply have to stop doing that and then the points will come," said attacking player Christian Lichtenberger. In general, however, the team can live with the difficult situation. "I think we're handling it very well within the team." The recipe for the clash with Klagenfurt? "Just put one or two percent more into it, get over the hump."

Gernot Messner

(Bild: Pail Sepp)

Messner expects an opponent that stays true to its style. Klagenfurt play "very simply, fast forward and without frills. (...) They are particularly dangerous in transitional situations," said the 43-year-old, who received praise from his Klagenfurt counterpart Peter Pacult. "The team should definitely be rated higher than the results so far suggest," said the oldest coach in the league at 64.

Pacult expects a "tough task", but believes his team is well prepared. "The team has a completely different look to last season, so it's normal that everything has to settle over a longer period of time," said the Viennese. In the flattering 2-2 draw against Hartberg last week, they picked up one of a total of seven points in their last three games, so a win would be just what the eighth-placed team needs in the battle for the Champions League. "The lads have presented themselves well recently and want to build on that in Graz."