Austria Vienna snatches league lead from Sturm Graz

Wiener Austria is smiling from the top of the table in the football Bundesliga four rounds before the end of the season. The Favoriten team prevailed on Sunday at Sturm Graz with a 1-0 victory, securing three points again after the 2-1 win on Wednesday at the Generali Arena, and left the defending champion behind in the table due to a better head-to-head record despite being level on points. Just three points behind lurks WAC, with fourth-placed Salzburg four points back.

Sturm cannot crack Austria

In front of 15,427 spectators in the sold-out Merkur Arena, Nik Prelec scored the decisive goal (80th minute). The Viennese team struggled to an away victory despite a long numerical advantage. William Böving saw a red card in the 28th minute for an offense against Reinhold Ranftl, and Leon Grgic also received a second yellow card (66th minute). Both dismissals by Sebastian Gishamer were at least controversial. Ranftl also received a second yellow card on the Viennese side (89th minute). Thus, Austria remained unbeaten in the fifth competitive match against Sturm this season and is now on course for their first title win since 2013.

Top match with early excitement

Austria coach Stephan Helm relied on the successful team from Wednesday. There was only one change for the Graz team, which was necessary. Tochi Chukwuani replaced the suspended Malick Yalcouye in midfield. The Styrians opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation this time, attempting to achieve success with a tactical change. The first excitement came in the third minute when Grgic received a yellow card for diving in a duel with Austria goalkeeper Samuel Sahin-Radlinger in the penalty area.

Gregory Wüthrich also came close to taking the lead. The defender surprisingly got a shot off while standing backwards close to the goal but aimed over (9th minute). On the Viennese side, Prelec acted too indecisively in the finish (13th minute), and a chip by Maurice Malone went over the goal (15th minute). Three minutes later, the Graz team was pressing again in an open early phase, with Böving deflecting a Grgic header towards the goal, but Sahin-Radlinger was on the spot.

The Graz team weakened themselves subsequently. Böving was sent off after an unnecessary attack at the midfield line with the knee against the backside of Reinhold Ranftl. Gishamer's decision caused heated tempers in the Sturm camp and among the spectators. The Viennese struggled to capitalize on the numerical advantage, and it only became really dangerous after a corner. Kjell Scherpen was able to distinguish himself with a Wiesinger header (37th minute).

Sturm only with nine men

After the restart, excessive use of pyrotechnics caused a several-minute interruption. The Viennese continued to struggle offensively and were lucky that a Wüthrich header hit the inside post (65th minute). Immediately afterwards, Grgic hit Austria's defense chief Aleksandar Dragovic on the head with his hand and received the second yellow card after the one in the early phase. Andreas Gruber missed the first good chance (79th minute). A minute later, Scherpen did not look good on a corner cross and Prelec scored into the near corner.

Austria also reduced

Even after that, the guests did not bring the game under control, especially after Ranftl's dismissal, it became really tight again. In the 96th minute, the Styrians celebrated the equalizer by Belmin Beganovic, but the goal was rightly not recognized due to a previous foul by Emanuel Aiwu. After the final whistle, there was a scuffle on the pitch, and Gishamer received quite a bit of verbal abuse from some Sturm players, including President Christian Jauk.

For Sturm, after the end of a series of nine unbeaten home games, it continues next Sunday at the bottom team Blau-Weiß Linz, while Austria will be visiting Salzburg shortly thereafter.

(APA/Red)

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