4th league win in a row

LIVE from 5pm: Austria Vienna vs Blau-Weiß Linz

A man with body control and an instinct for goals: Austrias scorer Nik Prelec

(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART)

Vienna's Austria have celebrated their fourth win in a row in the Bundesliga! The "Veilchen" defeated Blau-Weiß Linz 2:1 (0:1) after trailing at the break to consolidate 3rd place.

Like last time out, Stephan Helm's team needed a half to get up to operating temperature. However, the hosts turned the game around with goals from Maurice Malone (52) and Nik Prelec (60) in front of 14,600 spectators. Simon Seidl had put Blue & White in front (30').

Top 6 secured by six points
Austria ended the 12th round as the big winners after points were shared in Graz, Salzburg and Linz. They are two points off second-placed arch-rivals Rapid and five points off league leaders Sturm Graz. The top six are now six points clear after the fifth win in the sixth home game.

Linz, on the other hand, who started the season so well, continued their negative run. Gerald Scheiblehner's eighth-placed team picked up just one point from the last five rounds. Salzburg visit Linz before the November international break. Austria play at fifth-placed WAC.

The visitors had the first attacking moments
In an opening phase with a lot of patchwork, the visitors recorded the first attacking moments. Austria goalkeeper Samuel Sahin-Radlinger saved a central shot from Anderson from a good position (10'). The Violets struggled to find their game. They posed a slight threat from corners, but did little from open play.

(Bild: GEPA)

(Bild: GEPA)

(Bild: GEPA)

In a phase in which chants of "Jürgen Werner out" were heard again, Dominik Fitz almost surprised the unsure Linz goalkeeper Radek Vitek with a long-range shot. However, the Manchester United loanee got his hands to the ball (18th).

Seidl shot deflected away decisively
Defensively, Austria had recently proved almost insurmountable, conceding just one goal in four games. After half an hour, however, there was a lack of control. Anderson had time and space on the right flank, and Ronivaldo finished his pass into the path of Seidl with a cucumber against Philipp Wiesinger. Reinhold Ranftl deflected his shot decisively to give the visitors the lead (33').

The Viennese replied with a roller from Malone from an acute angle, which Martin Moormann cleared off the line (33'). As was the case last time out, the purple-white side improved after the break. First of all, a chance product provided the equalizer. An unsuccessful shot attempt by Abubakr Barry became the ideal template for Malone, who shot in dryly (52').

Maurice Malone

(Bild: GEPA)

Prelec embarrassed Linz's backline including Vitek
A counter-attack gave Vienna the lead. Fitz found Malone with a through pass, who crossed to Prelec. The Slovenian, who had just scored his first goal of the season, outmuscled the Linz backline including Vitek and fired into an empty net. Austria then briefly pressed for the 3:1 and relied on their defensive qualities in the final stages. The generally harmless visitors did not have another clear-cut opportunity to score.

The result:
FK Austria Wien - FC Blau-Weiß Linz 2:1 (0:1)
Vienna, Generali-Arena, 14,600 spectators, SR Semler

Goals: 0:1 (30.) Seidl, 1:1 (52.), Malone, 2:1 (60.) Prelec

Yellow cards: Maybach, Prelec, Helm (coach), Wiesinger and Pirkl respectively

Austria: Sahin-Radlinger - Wiesinger (88. Plavotic), Dragovic, Galvao - Ranftl, Fischer, Maybach (46. Barry), Guenouche (46. Perez Vinlöf) - Fitz - Prelec (72. Gruber), Malone (83. Raguz)
Blau-Weiß: Vitek - Mitrovic (70. Schmidt), Maranda, Moormann (49. Strauss) - Anderson (70. Gölles), Diabate, Dobras, Pirkl - S. Seidl (75. Ibrahimi), Ronivaldo, Goiginger (70. Pasic)