Image: GEPA pictures/ Philipp Brem (GEPA pictures)
Haris Tabakovic (40th) with his seventh goal in spring and Doron Leidner (53rd) scored in front of 15,200 spectators in the sold-out Generali Arena.
The “Violets” acted more efficiently with their opportunities and thus managed the first Derby home win in over four years. Rapid, on the other hand, has been waiting for success for nine duels with their archrival. Zoran Barisic’s team finished fourth in the regular season, just one point ahead of Austria.
The starting position before the 338th big Vienna derby was clear: Austria needed their first home win since December 2018 (6-1) to make the leap into the master group on their own. Otherwise, only the anxious look to Innsbruck and Lustenau remained. Rapid was already there. The Hütteldorfer wanted to take revenge for the 1:2 in the first season comparison. Team boss Ralf Rangnick was also a spectator in the stands.
In the first derby, Austria had to give up an asset with the suspended Reinhold Ranftl under coach Michael Wimmer, Marvin Martins took his place on the flank. Unsurprisingly, Dominik Fitz returned to the starting XI. In Grünweiß, neo-team player Jonas Auer was back on the left, Ante Bajic started on the right offensive instead of Bernhard Zimmermann. Roman Kerschbaum served a suspension.
Rapid appeared dangerously in the opposing penalty area for the first time after a quarter of an hour. Bajic was faster than Lukas Mühl, but closed too centrally on Christian Früchtl. Matthias Braunöder tested Niklas Hedl’s reflexes for Austria after a corner kick from the edge of the penalty area (23′).
After half an hour, Wimmer had to adapt again in terms of personnel. Martins injured his ribs on a tackle and was unable to continue. Georg Teigl came on for the Luxembourger. The game was characterized by caution, the top scorers Tabakovic and Guido Burgstaller could hardly put themselves in the limelight for the time being.
Five minutes before the break, the Swiss was spot on again. While Denso Kasius hesitated, Leidner kept the ball in play, Tabakovic only hit the ball with his ankle, but Hedl was beaten. Rapid tried a final offensive, but Früchtl wasn’t surprised by a Greil cross that kept getting longer and longer.
The purple supporters enjoyed it and welcomed their team back onto the field with fireworks. Rapid got off to a better start. Marco Grüll appeared in front of Früchtl after a Burgstaller shove, but failed to finish (52′). Austria immediately came back from their first attack with the friendly help of their opponent to make it 2-0. Bajic lobbed in his own half, but Leidner grabbed the ball, made a sprint and converted it into the far corner.
Barisic brought in Oliver Strunz for Bajic and Zimmermann for Dejan Petrovic, another fresh man for the offensive. Rapid looked for the answer, but failed to build up pressure. When Fitz was tackled in the penalty area, the VAR intervened, but referee Julian Weinberger did not have to go to the screen.
Firecrackers fired from the Rapid fan sector caused a stir. One of them exploded in front of two stewards, one of whom appeared to have been injured. A firecracker also fell on the adjacent grandstand. The Rapid quarter of an hour started uneventfully on the pitch for the time being. Austria was already in management mode and closed the rooms in their own half. Burgstaller missed the chance of a possible green-white comeback, who headed to the top of the bar after an Auer cross (80′). A Strunz header went just over the box (83′). The 22-year-old had the 1: 2 on his head again, but missed from a few meters (89th).
Source: Nachrichten
