After a furious start

Rapid vs. Austria Klagenfurt – LIVE from 5pm

Rapid celebrate an unchallenged victory against Austria Klagenfurt.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Rapid beat Austria Klagenfurt 2:0 thanks to a furious start. Thanks to goals from Guido Burgstaller and Louis Schaub, the Hütteldorfer have moved back ahead of their great rivals Austria in the table. They are only three points behind league leaders and champions Sturm Graz. 

SK Rapid remain unbeaten at home this season. Coach Robert Klauß' team defeated Klagenfurt's Austria 2-0 (2-0) on Sunday at the end of the 13th round of the Bundesliga. Guido Burgstaller (11th) and Louis Schaub (23rd) secured three points for the Hütteldorfer in front of 15,700 spectators at the Allianz Stadium. With 26 points, the Viennese remain in first place behind champions Sturm Graz (29). Klagenfurt (15) dropped back to ninth place.

As expected, Rapid were without right-back Bendeguz Bolla and goalscorer Dion Beljo, who were injured in the European Cup against Petrocub Hincesti on Thursday. Klauß sent on Dennis Kaygin for the red-banned Mamadou Sangare as well as Noah Bischof and 18-year-old Jakob Schöller in the starting line-up. The latter, who is actually a trained central defender, made his Bundesliga debut at right-back. Klagenfurt coach Peter Pacult was without midfielder Tobias Koch due to a thigh injury, with Christopher Cvetko returning in his place after serving his yellow card suspension.

Rapid get off to a flying start
The home side started strongly, with Bischof firing the first warning shot after just over 100 seconds, but it was a little too high. Nine minutes later, the Rapid players' sights were set accurately. After an Auer cross, Schaub headed the ball to Burgstaller, who tucked the ball home with his left foot to take the lead. The green and white continued in the same vein: Bischof initiated a counter-attack and set up Burgstaller in the penalty area. The striker found Schaub with a fine pass, who only had to push the ball into the empty goal to make it 2:0 (23').

Pacult reacted to the lack of resistance from Klagenfurt after half an hour and brought on Simon Straudi for Solomon Bonnah. This did not change the character of the game much at first. Straudi finally found Niklas Hedl, but his shot was too weak (42'). Burgstaller missed a great chance to make it 3:0 in stoppage time, the 35-year-old failing to beat keeper Simon Spari from close range after a pass from Bischof (45.+4).

WSG Tirol now await
Rapid kept the pressure on after the break. After the Carinthians lost possession in front of their own penalty area, the ball ended up with Matthias Seidl. The captain came down in a duel with Niklas Szerencsi in the penalty area, quickly picked himself up and shot from a good twelve meters. Spari made the save and eventually scraped the ball off the line (48').

Guido Burgstaller was involved in both goals.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

The hosts now took it a little easier, which gave Austria more space. However, chances for the visitors remained the exception, with a Cvetko free-kick ending up in Hedl's arms (55'). Ben Bobzien - under pressure from Nenad Cvetkovic - missed a good counter-attacking opportunity (68'). In the closing stages, young Rapid players Thierry Gale, Tobias Hedl and Benjamin Böckle were given a chance. Hedl (85th, 86th, 94th), Böckle (88th) and Christoph Lang (95th) had opportunities to score further Rapid goals, but in the end it remained a deserved 2:0.

After the international break, Rapid continue their campaign on November 23 with a visit to WSG Tirol. On the same day, Klagenfurt face champions and league leaders Sturm Graz.