ÖFB Cup: Salzburg expects a “treacherous” game
ÖFB Cup
A total of 32 teams are fighting for entry into the third round of the Uniqa ÖFB Cup this week. From 8.30 p.m. (live on ORF Sport+) Union Raiffeisen Gurten tries to trip up defending champion Red Bull Salzburg in Ried. “The Cup can be tricky,” warned Salzburg midfielder Maurits Kjaergaard about the regional league.
In any case, the duel with Salzburg is the game of the year for Gurten. “The game will be an experience for each of us or a highlight in our career,” said coach Peter Madritsch in an interview with the regional newspaper “Tipps”. “My team earned and deserved this game themselves. We will approach it with humility and enthusiasm. We’ll enjoy it and maybe we can annoy the champion and cup winner a bit here and there.”
Salzburg will not take lightly the Upper Austrians, who lost 3:2 in St. Martin im Mühlkreis in the first round. “The cup game also starts at 0-0, and Gurten deserves a place in the second round just like we did – that deserves respect,” explained Salzburg coach Matthias Jaissle. “But of course we are the clear favourites, and it is our aim to confidently move into the next round.”
The game will not be played on belts, but in the Josko Arena in Ried, 3,000 spectators are expected. “We know the stadium and the general conditions. It’s certainly not a typical cup game on a small pitch and in a heated atmosphere,” said Kjaergaard, who scored the goal in the 6-0 win in Lustenau on Saturday. “But we need a focused performance there too, we mustn’t underestimate our opponents.” Jaissle will rotate against Gurten in the starting line-up. What is fixed is that Nico Mantl will start in goal instead of Philipp Köhn.