Vienna Austria "not yet a championship team"

"I didn't see a team buckle," emphasized Austria Wien coach Stephan Helm. After missing out on the ÖFB Cup final, it was important for Wiener Austria to get back into the game immediately. "Wednesday was a bitter disappointment, but apart from a few actions, I didn't feel any insecurity," said the Burgenlander. His team had almost 60 percent possession and was at least visually superior, especially after the break. "We managed to impose our game on WAC," summarized a satisfied Helm.

Comeback of Dominik Fitz at Vienna Derby

As a result of their strong performances this season, opponents would increasingly act more defensively against the Viennese. "We have worked for this, now it's about finding solutions in the final third." Against Wolfsberger, who reached the cup final on Wednesday, this was the biggest shortcoming, with almost no top chances on either side. "The last precision and consistency were missing, we need to address that," Helm knew. Reinhold Ranftl also saw it that way. "The biggest learning is that we need to be more precise in the final third," said the winger.

The return of the suspended Dominik Fitz in the derby on Sunday can help. The 25-year-old is the be-all and end-all in the offensive play with ten goals and eleven assists. "You could see their absence in certain phases," said defender Johannes Handl, also referring to the suspended defensive chief Aleksandar Dragovic. Nevertheless, they delivered a performance they can build on. "The 0:0 is not so bad that we should bury our heads in the sand," emphasized Handl. Ranftl also didn't want to "talk the game down," calling it a "step forward."

Wiener Austria calm after losing top spot

In terms of football, they were better than against Hartberg. "We just didn't score twice, but that will come back," the former LASK player was sure. Losing the top spot, level on points behind Sturm, was not a problem. "We know where we were at the start of the season, we're not a championship team yet," Ranftl was keen to stay grounded. Austria is already the number one in Vienna with a ten-point lead over local rivals Rapid. "We go into the game as favorites and will win," boasted Ranftl. For WAC, it's currently about securing fourth place, as the gap behind is smaller than ahead. "Easter, Christmas, and Pentecost would have to coincide for us to become champions," coach Dietmar Kühbauer realistically assessed the situation.

Fatigue after ÖFB Cup present at Wiener Austria and WAC

Both teams did not show what had distinguished them recently. "You could clearly see that both had a tough week, not only the mental but also the physical fatigue was present," summarized the Burgenlander. The defensive performance was fine. "Offensively, we can do better. A bit more would have been needed for three points." Kühbauer had to watch the match from the stands due to a suspension, with his assistant coach Manfred Nastl representing him on the sidelines.

He saw some very tough duels. Manfred Fischer, for example, felt it in a duel with Chibuike Nwaiwu. "WAC has a man-eater back there in the middle. It's madness," judged Fischer, who was bleeding from the lip. On the other side, Boris Matic got "a nice pattern on the ankle," as Kühbauer recounted. Already at halftime, striker Markus Pink had to leave the field due to neck pain following a duel and was taken to the hospital as a precaution. "I assume there's nothing wrong," Kühbauer revealed.

(APA/Red)

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