2:0 at SV Ried: Rapid Vienna Ends Losing Streak with Away Win

After five consecutive competitive match defeats, Rapid secured a victory again. The Hütteldorf team won on Sunday with goals from Nikolaus Wurmbrand (17th minute) and Ercan Kara (34th minute) at SV Ried with 2-0, achieving their first full success in the football Bundesliga since the 4-1 against WSG Tirol on September 14, and reduced the gap to league leaders Sturm Graz to one point. The Innviertel team, after two recent wins, left the field as losers again.

Rapid Vienna cautious in the early phase

Peter Stöger was able to rely again on Nenad Cvetkovic, who missed the Fiorentina match due to muscle problems, and also benched the out-of-form goalkeeper Niklas Hedl, bringing in Paul Gartler - a move that paid off. The Rapid players seemed completely out of sorts in the early phase after recent failures and were outplayed by Ried, but Gartler prevented an early deficit.

The 28-year-old saved a shot from Jonas Mayer (3rd minute) and was on hand with a foot save against a Fabian Rossdorfer attempt (9th minute). Additionally, Gartler and his colleagues were lucky that Kingstone Mutandwa did not properly connect with the ball from two meters (10th minute).

Spectacular goal by Wurmbrand

Rapid survived the home team's pressure phase and took the lead with their first notable offensive action. Wurmbrand broke through against three opponents in the penalty area and scored with a powerful finish into the near corner via the inside post. By this point, Ried's momentum was broken.

The visitors controlled the match but were not dangerous themselves - until the 34th minute. Ried only briefly cleared a Rapid free-kick cross from the penalty area, Furkan Demir headed the ball back in front of the Innviertel goal, former Rapid player Michael Sollbauer played Kara onside and was outsmarted by him, and the striker volleyed in for 2-0 for the Green-Whites.

The second half brought fruitless attacking efforts from the Upper Austrians and an uninspired, but at least somewhat confident performance from the Viennese. The only highlight from the visitors' perspective after the break was a magnificent volley goal by Wurmbrand, which was disallowed due to a marginal offside position (56th minute). Ried only made themselves noticed with a missed shot by Mutandwa (52nd minute) and an attempt by Rapid loanee Nicolas Bajlicz, which was saved by Gartler (78th minute).

(APA/Red)

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