Porky posting

This is why WAC loves the Wörthersee Stadium!

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

After the cup derby is before the league derby! This Sunday, Austria Klagenfurt have the chance to take revenge for their narrow Cup defeat in Wolfsberg (2-2 after extra time, 8-9 after the dramatic penalty shoot-out)! However, the Violets have never won at home against the WAC and have not yet sold many tickets. The Wolfsberg fans gave the team a "piggy back", if a player can walk into the arena. . .

On the WAC: Didi Kühbauer and Peter Pacult have one thing in common - they don't give a damn about statistics. Even in personal duels. In which the WAC coach has his buddy on the Klagenfurt line fully in control so far - eight duels, six wins, two draws. Of course "Don Didi" wants to remain unbeaten and is aiming for "all nine" against Pacult!

"But it's only important to me that the WAC wins. It's not about Kühbauer versus Pacult - I don't care about that at all," emphasized the Wolfsburg coach.

The statistics show that his WAC loves the Klagenfurt pitch: from 2010 until today, the "Wolves" have played 22 times in the provincial capital - whether as a home team or as an opponent of Austria. Including European Cup and cup matches, the team has won eight, drawn seven and lost four! Even with the three test matches - against Chelsea (0:3, 1:1) and Milan (0:5) - the record remains positive. The WAC have never lost a derby at the Violets anyway.

Kühbauer has Pacult in the palm of his hand so far. .

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

On foot to the stadium
Curious: One Wolfsburg player could travel to the match on foot this Sunday - David Skubl. The substitute goalkeeper, on the bench for the first time in a derby, even lives in Waidmannsdorf. 

The fan clubs in Waidmannsdorf will also be hot today. A tractor posting by Austria caused a stir before the cup derby.

Now a WAC fan club has returned the favor by posting a picture of purple pigs on social media. Not the nicest thing to do (see picture below).

The posting of a WAC fan club on social media. On display: A farmer and purple pigs.

(Bild: zvg)

About Austria Klagenfurt: Since their return to the Bundesliga, Austria Klagenfurt are still winless at home against arch-rivals WAC. The 1:1 in the first encounter in 2021 was followed by two defeats (2:3, 0:3), followed by another draw (2:2) in 2023.

Most recently, coach Peter Pacult rotated in the narrow Cup defeat on penalties in Wolfsberg. The second violet suit cut a good figure - this time it can be assumed that "PP" (apart from Cvetko, who is suspended with a yellow card) will field the top eleven again - Bobzien and Wernitznig will therefore move into the starting eleven.

 "The only thing that didn't go our way was taking our chances. We could have made everything clear in the first half." But it's not just the strikers who are called upon. "The whole team can score goals. I've never told a player not to score," says Pacult.

The derbies so far at a glance

ÖFB-CUP. September 25, 2018:
WAC - Austria Klagenfurt 4:0 (3:0)

BUNDESLIGA. July 25, 2021:
Austria - WAC 1:1 (0:1)

BUNDESLIGA. October 23, 2021:
WAC - Austria 2:1 (1:0)

BUNDESLIGA. April 17, 2022:
WAC - Austria 1:2 (1:2)

FEDERAL LEAGUE: April 24, 2022:
Austria - WAC 2:3 (1:1)

BUNDESLIGA. September 4, 2022:
WAC - Austria 3:4 (2:2)

BUNDESLIGA: February 18, 2023:
Austria - WAC 0:3 (0:3)

BUNDESLIGA. August 9, 2023:
Austria - WAC 2:2 (1:0)

BUNDESLIGA. November 4, 2023:
WAC - Austria 4:0 (2:0)

BUNDESLIGA. August 3, 2024:
WAC - Austria 4:1 (3:0)

ÖFB-CUP. October 30, 2024:
WAC - Austria 2:2 n.V. (9:8 n. E.).

The Viennese hope for a good ending. But he has great respect for his opponents. "The WAC has a lot of experienced players in the team - experience is what we still lack. It's important that we're ready from the start."

Austrias top scorer Ben Bobzien (four goals!) knows why it is so difficult to score against the Wolves: "WAC is very calm on the ball and controls the game. It's simply difficult to create chances against them." Christopher Wernitznig, Klagenfurt's best provider (four assists!): "They simply have a good team with good individual players like Ballo or Zukic. We have to push ourselves to the limit in terms of fighting and running, that's how we can win."

Meinung

Das Cup-Derby hat vielen nur geschadet

Claudio Trevisan, head of sport at the "Kärntner Krone", sheds light on the domestic soccer scene in this commentary

(Bild: stock.adobe.com, Krone KREATIV)

Only 2651 fans attended the ÖFB Cup derby between WAC and Austria on Wednesday. A season minus record in the Lavanttal Arena - and a derby minus record since the Violets were promoted in 2021. But who's surprised? . .

Scheduling a match like this at 8.30pm on a working day is not only hostile to families and a mockery of the away fans. Especially as the match didn't finish until 11.10pm after the penalty shoot-out!

But because the television dictates, the ÖFB obeyed - and thus harmed many: the fans and especially the kids who would have liked to come. The club, which generates less revenue. The reputation of domestic soccer, which only saw empty stands on TV. "You can hardly make the Cup less attractive," groaned WAC striker Pink. "8.30pm is really not a happy time during the week," emphasized Klagenfurt coach Pacult.

So many tickets have gone so far: 
And this Sunday? It would be set for a soccer festival at 2.30 pm. An average of 5915 spectators have attended the ten derbies since Austria were promoted. The best attendance to date was in 2021 - with 13,495 fans. This time is a far cry from that - only 3,600 tickets have been sold so far, but up to 5,000 supporters are expected.