Kühbauer’s LASK receive Rapid – WAC has to go to Salzburg
Didi Kühbauer is the focus of Sunday’s top game in the Bundesliga. The new LASK trainer is expecting his ex-team Rapid Vienna for a duel in Linz and expects a “close game” in the fourth round between the two teams that started the season well. Wolfsberger AC, which has so far remained below expectations, has to go to series champions Red Bull Salzburg. Austria Lustenau and TSV Hartberg meet for the first time in the Bundesliga. Kick-off is at 5 p.m. each day.
The reunion with his old love is officially secondary for Kühbauer. “LASK plays against Rapid and not Didi Kühbauer against Rapid,” emphasized the 51-year-old before the duel between the table leaders from Linz and the pursuer from Hütteldorf, who was tied on points. “That’s too much fanfare for me. The players should be in the foreground, that’s more important to me.” The winner of the top game should be happy about first place and a perfect start to the season after four rounds.
In the recent past, Rapid has become more and more a feared opponent of the Linzer, from the past duels green and white won seven under coach Kühbauer, twice there was a draw. After the overtime on Thursday evening in the successful European Cup duel against Neftci Baku, the Rapidler want to rely on their large squad again. “We’re doing well with the rotation at the moment, despite the triple burden, we have hardly any injuries, it wasn’t always like that,” emphasized coach Ferdinand Feldhofer.
Salzburg received Wolfsberger AC, against whom the “bulls” suffered their last home defeat in the league to date (2:3/December 20, 2020). In the previous year, the league remained clean with four wins (12:1 goals). In the cup, however, Robin Dutt’s team knew how to stand up to the favorites up to a penalty shoot-out. Salzburg coach Matthias Jaissle also reminded of this in advance. “We know from our own experience how unpleasant the opponent is. We assume that they have a top team and are playing very well,” said the German, who has recovered from tonsillitis.
The WAC, who escaped embarrassment with a 4-0 win in Malta against Gzira on Tuesday, go into the game with a completely different pressure situation. “It’s always the same against Salzburg. You need your best day and Salzburg don’t need your best – then you have a chance. These two components have to come together,” said Dutt. The German emphasized that Salzburg had not lost any of its dominance compared to the previous year. Salzburg has taken six points from three league games, WAC is close to the bottom of the table with two points.
Austria Lustenau will take the momentum of the 1-1 draw at Rapid with them in the upcoming home game. The climber received the TSV Hartberg. The guests from Styria had to put up with two defeats after an opening win, but there were probably positive results against series champions Salzburg recently. Lustenau and Hartberg meet for the first time in Austria’s top division. The last encounters between the two teams took place in the 2017/18 Hartberg promotion season. The Styrians won three of the four meetings in a draw.