Yeboah (left) and Wöber meet again in the hit
APA

Austria’s series champion and lone league leader Salzburg asks his first pursuer Sturm Graz to dance in the 12th round of the Bundesliga on Sunday (5 p.m.).

Rarely has one of the two teams entered the game as the clear favorite in comparable duels as the “Bulls”: While Sturm has to pay physical tribute to the Europa League exertions without rewarding himself for it, Salzburg has made a historic rise in the premier class within reach.

“The next cracker is waiting for us,” said successful coach Matthias Jaissle, his full-back Rasmus Kristensen is good for it. “We have an extremely good feeling and a lot of self-confidence. Nothing better can happen to us than the next top game. We are ready,” he says Dane. Salzburg is still unbeaten in Bundesliga home games in 2021, in the past 42 games in front of their own audience they have always scored at least once. “We hope this run continues,” said Jaissle. The last “zero” at home happened on March 10, 2019 – in a 0-0 win against Sturm.

The switch from the glamorous premier class in the domestic lowlands has always been a success so far, and this time too he is assuming it. “We have always mastered it in the end, the team was always ready and always performed well. The game certainly does not have a decisive character – also in view of the separation of points after 22 rounds:” This game will have no effect on the championship. ”

Jaissle expects an “open exchange of blows”

The only point loss in the Bundesliga came with stragglers Altach in the previous week, the defensive bulwark of the home side could only be overcome once at 1-1. A completely different game awaits on Sunday. “It will be an open exchange of blows, they play an impressive football, and the coach for a clear idea of ​​the game. It will be a real challenge for us, a cool game,” said Jaissle, who warned above all about the standards and the Umschaltspiel from Graz.

Salzburg won the first duel between the two teams at the start of the season in Graz 3-1. The dense game program has left its mark on Sturm since then, and the possibilities for variation are reduced by several failures. “The injuries deprive us of the opportunity to rotate. That costs substance,” said coach Christian Ilzer.

On Thursday, Alexander Prass (thigh) and Jusuf Gazibegovic (knee) injured in the 0-1 draw against Real Sociedad, which is why Stefan Hierländer, who has not yet fully recovered from a knee injury, had to finish around 60 minutes of play. Otar Kiteishvili and Sandro Ingolitsch are also not available. Ilzer hoped that his team could at least take a moral boost with them to Wals-Siezenheim: “That was our best performance in the Europa League, we will build on that.”