Bundesliga in the ticker

Salzburg vs. Austria Wien – LIVE from 5pm

Austria coach Stephan Helm

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Red Bull Salzburg face Austria Wien in the Bundesliga today. We report live - see ticker below. 

Here is the live ticker:

Red Bull Salzburg have taken the mandatory task in the ÖFB Cup, now the runners-up want to return to winning ways in the Bundesliga. After a 2:3 at Rapid and a 0:0 at WSG Tirol, they will now face Vienna Austria today in Wals-Siezenheim. It is only Salzburg's second league home game due to the cancellation, and the hosts hope to remain unbeaten against the favorites for the 19th time in a row in the championship. While the name of the match may suggest it is a key game, this is not necessarily the case when looking at the table, as fifth place welcomes sixth place, one point behind. But the table is a bit of a lie. Salzburg have only played five games, with supplementary games in December against Hartberg and Klagenfurt to come. Coach Pepijn Lijnders' side are therefore top of the table in terms of points lost, four points behind leaders Rapid.

Salzburg have only lost one of their last 33 league matches against Austria, with 14 wins and four draws in the last 18. The aim is to extend this positive statistic. "We want to show our passion, our hunger, our ambition, especially in the home games we want to be dominant, the team that sets the tone, presses and plays really good soccer," said Lijnders. His squad last played in their own stadium on August 27, when they secured their place in the Champions League group stage. "That was a really good experience and we want to build on it," said the Dutchman.

Salzburg coach Pepijn Lijnders

(Bild: AFP or licensors)

The only league home game also ended on a positive note, when Blau-Weiß Linz were defeated 5:1 on August 10. During the week, the team confidently overcame the hurdle in the second round of the ÖFB Cup with a 4-0 win at Wiener Viktoria on Wednesday. "When you're competing in three competitions, you need a lot of players in the best possible form to be able to rotate. We have a really strong squad," said Lijnders. There are also some high-profile absentees.

Salzburg without Baidoo
Samson Baidoo is missing from the squad due to a "minor injury". For the ÖFB team player, it will be a race against time until Tuesday's match against Stade Brest in the "premier class". Midfielder Mads Bidstrup is back in training after recovering from illness, but is likely to be rested with Brest in mind. "We know how important he is for our pressing, but he was really ill and we'll give him the time he needs," explained Lijnders.

Blaswich in goal
Captain Janis Blaswich is likely to keep goal again, although there are many voices in Salzburg who would like to see Alexander Schlager return to the number one role. The ÖFB team goalkeeper made his comeback in the Cup. "I'm really happy that Alex is back. I've always said that Janis and Alex will play their games, hopefully we'll use them at the right moments," Lijnders revealed.

He is not yet giving Brest a second thought. "If you plan ahead, 95 percent of the time it doesn't end the way you would have planned it. That's why I stopped doing that. It's important to see every match as the next final." He expected Vienna to be a "really strong" opponent after the 2-2 draw against champions Sturm Graz. "They will come with confidence." Winger Andreas Gruber, who is missing due to a shoulder dislocation but may be able to return to the pitch next week, will not be able to play.

Austria coach Stephan Helm assessed Salzburg as "a good opponent in a different way to Sturm". "The stakes are extremely high away in Salzburg, we all know that. Nevertheless, we won't give in at any stage of the game and will devise a tactic that will increase our chances of picking up a point and ideally a win. We want to get the maximum out of it," said the 41-year-old. In Wals-Siezenheim, however, no league team has been able to pick up a win in the last twelve attempts.