Bundesliga in the ticker:

Blau Weiß Linz vs TSV Hartberg – LIVE from 5pm

(Bild: GEPA)

22nd matchday of the Austrian Bundesliga. Blau Weiß Linz welcomes TSV Hartberg, we report live - see ticker below. 

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Blau-Weiß Linz are facing a season-defining Sunday. The Bundesliga club must score at home against Hartberg (17:00) in the basic round final to have a chance of making it into the championship group. However, even a win could be too little for the seventh-placed Upper Austrians if Rapid and LASK also win. "We've worked hard for this game. No team has an advantage in the tight standings," said coach Gerald Scheiblehner.

For the Blue-Whites, however, not only is losing forbidden, they are also dependent on support. Rapid (at home against GAK) and city rivals LASK (at Sturm Graz) are both one point ahead of Scheiblehner's team. However, Linz has won the direct comparison with both rivals and is ranked ahead if the points are equal. The situation is "very special" for the club, said managing director Christoph Peschek. "We've played a brilliant season so far. It's a great opportunity for us, but for the other two clubs the starting position means a lot of pressure. They have to be in the championship group."

Hoping for two Linz clubs in the championship group
Scheiblehner claims to have noticed a bit of a derby atmosphere this week. "You get the feeling that both clubs are fighting against Rapid. It would be ideal for Linz if they both made it into the championship group," explained the 48-year-old. Ideally, Hartberg should be defeated to achieve this. The Styrians were "in a way a role model for us, because they have always played for the top 6. If our performance is right, then we have a good chance of winning the game," said Scheiblehner, who does not want to know any intermediate scores until half-time. "Because our game and the team's performance are the main focus."

(Bild: APA/GERD EGGENBERGER)

Peschek, who had announced the complete reduction of negative equity and thus freedom from debt on Thursday ("We are completely financially healthy"), was still in a low mood for the time being. "Our goal is still to stay in the league. If we manage to achieve this ahead of schedule on Sunday, it will be an outstanding and historic success." Should they fail to do so, however, they would be in a great starting position for the qualifying group.

Hartberg focus on relegation battle
Hartberg could be the spoilsport. Coach Manfred Schmid's side, who beat Linz 2-1 at home in the fall, had to settle for eighth place and the bottom play-off spot despite a 2-1 win over Rapid last week. The aim is therefore to put themselves in a good position in the relegation battle. "We're only looking at ourselves. If Blau-Weiß want to go up, then they have to beat us," explained Schmid. "We want to play our game in Linz and build on our performance against Rapid, pick up points and continue to build confidence." This should then help in the ten rounds of the qualifying group. "The points split will make it very tight at the bottom."