Wilde’s 3-3 draw in Hütteldorf: WAC scored at the final whistle

Martin Moormann had put the numerically inferior Viennese ahead in the 84th minute on Saturday, and Thomas Sabitzer struck for the Carinthians in the 97th minute. A penalty and sending off in the second half caused the turnaround.

Fally Mayulu (29th) and Leopold Querfeld (41st) were responsible for a 2-0 half-time lead after a shaky start from Hütteldorfer. After the break, the game ended after a penalty whistle and Rapid’s Terence Kongolo was shown a red card. Mohamed Bamba initially made it 2-2 with a brace (69’/penalty, 77′), but substitute Moormann’s header put Rapid back in front. Sabitzer scored the final score from close range after a high ball into the penalty area. Rapid is still sixth in the table and WAC is eighth. The Wolfsbergers have been waiting for their second win of the season for six rounds.

At Rapid, new defense signings Neraysho Kasanwirjo and Kongolo played in a competitive game for the first time. Because Maximilian Hofmann was missing due to injury, Marco Grüll took over the captain’s armband. Instead of Guido Burgstaller, Mayulu acted as the striker. On the opponent’s side, coach Manfred Schmid ordered Mario Leitgeb and Sabitzer to the bench; Thierno Ballo was injured. Ervin Omic, Augustine Boakye and Rapid loanee Bernhard Zimmermann played for the trio.

Rapid with a nervous start

After a minute’s silence for the deserving former Rapidler Leopold Grausam, who died a week ago on Friday, the game quickly picked up pace. The WAC initially seemed safer defensively, more accurate in the passing game and more toxic going forward. In the 5th minute, Bamba appeared alone in front of Niklas Hedl in the Rapid goal, but shot into the clouds. The somewhat nervous home team came dangerously into the opponent’s penalty area for the first time thanks to an unintentional header from WAC defender Scott Kennedy, which hit the crossbar in the 21st minute.

Eight minutes later it was Mayulu who, after Sattlberger’s pass, hit the ball from the edge of the penalty area into the left corner. It was the young Frenchman’s second league goal – something like a loosened knot for the Green-Whites collectively. Before the break, Rapid created a number of opportunities. One of them was used by Querfeld after a Grüll corner. The central defender was completely alone and the ball hit him more on the leg than the other way around. Nicolas Kühn (left shot/34th), Roman Kerschbaum (header/35th) or again Mayulu (43rd) could also have written.

Bamba with two goals

After the break, Lukas Grgic (substituted for Kerschbaum) made his debut for Rapids, and Querfeld (52nd) had the next chance a little later with a header. The growing self-confidence resulted in some combinations worth seeing. After the Seidl pass, Kühn turned on the turbo and made a Stangl pass into the middle, where Grüll made a mess. Referee Alan Kijas caused an abrupt change in the mood in the 65th minute, awarding a penalty for the WAC after a foul by Kongolo on Boakye and also showing the Rapid defender a red card. Although he wasn’t the last Rapid player in the penalty area. Bamba converted safely.

Numerically inferior and without the physically strong Kongolo in the center of defense, Rapid conceded the equalizer after a combination of Kennedy, Boakye and Bamba. The 21-year-old beat Hedl with his head. However, Rapid didn’t give up. After a free kick cross from Jonas Auer, Moormann, who came on for Kongolo, was in the right place and headed the ball home. In the long added time it was another substitute, Sabitzer, who provided the final score.