“Joker” Strunz redeemed the 19,400 spectators in the Allianz Stadium only in the 74th minute with the 1:0. In the 86th minute, Burgstaller finally ended Tyrol’s hopes of winning a point in Vienna. Rapid got a complete success in the eighth league match in a row against the Watteners.
While Rapid can go into the Vienna derby against Austria next week with confidence and even send their arch-rival into the qualifying group, WSG probably needs a win at Sturm Graz in the 22nd round to get into the championship group. Due to the defeat in Vienna-Hütteldorf, the Watteners slipped down to seventh place. Coach Thomas Silberberger’s team is one point behind sixth-placed Austria.
Rapid fix in the master group
Thanks to a 2:0 home win by Rapid Vienna, the team is firmly in the champions group. Rapidler have already won eight competitive games in a row against WSG.
Rapid misses chances
Rapid took command from the start in the Allianz Stadium and became particularly dangerous through Burgstaller. The striker tested keeper Ferdinand Oswald (8th), narrowly missed (11th) and was blocked from a good position (26th). In the 36th minute Marco Grüll brought a free-kick cross in the middle, Oswald defended a Burgstaller header to the post, after which the ball obviously crossed the goal line. However, according to the VAR assessment, the goal did not count because the Rapid captain was offside.
Shortly before the break, green and white came very close to the lead twice more. Oswald saved a header from Burgstaller with difficulty, Patrick Greil didn’t get the ball right with his head (44′). A few seconds later, Greil shot wide of the penalty spot. So it was 0-0 at the break.
“Joker” breaks the spell
Even after the change of sides, Rapid were almost negligent with their chances at first. A header from Bernhard Zimmermann was just blocked by the Tyroleans (47′), then Burgstaller headed wide from a few meters away (48′) and a little later Dejan Petrovic missed the target (50′) as did Burgstaller again (61′). Oswald also parried a violent shot from Grüll (69′).
The ban was broken in the 74th minute. Grüll hung up for Strunz, who had just come on as a substitute, and rolled the ball flat into the corner. WSG then fought for the equaliser, but didn’t create a compelling shot opportunity throughout the game – despite the substitution of Thomas Sabitzer, who played with a face mask due to a broken cheekbone. Burgstaller made the decision in the 86th minute.
Comments on the game:
Zoran Barisic (Rapid coach): “It was a pressure situation for us. We started with a lot of energy, tried to constantly generate pressure, created a lot of chances and let siters lie. But we didn’t let ourselves be deterred and never lost faith in ourselves. The players who came on made sure that we got extra energy. We worked very well as a team and deserved to win. During the game I thought to myself, if we lose a match like that, I won’t understand the world anymore, and I’ve lost games like this sometimes as a coach. But after the 2:0 the relief was huge. It was a very mature performance. Our only shortcoming was evaluating chances, but in the end I don’t give a damn if we win.”
Thomas Silberberger (WSG trainer): “At the end of the day it was a deserved Rapid victory. We were too scared and didn’t create enough recovery in possession, especially in the first half. Rapid got more overweight every minute, so it was difficult for us. We’ve been saying all week that we can only get out of the ‘Circus Maximus’ bravely, but we didn’t make it. We missed the points that we’re missing now in the first half of the season. But the fact that we still have a chance at the championship play-off is worthy of all honor. If we don’t make it, we want to play a rock-solid qualifying round like last year, and then it wasn’t WSG Tirol’s worst season either.”
Admiral Bundesliga, 21. Round
Sunday:
Rapid – Tirol 2:0 (0:0)
Vienna, Allianz Stadium, 19,400, SR Hameter
Tore:
1: 0 Strunz (74th)
2: 0 Burgstaller (86th)
Rapid: Hedl – Kasius (91st / Schick), Sollbauer, Querfeld, Moormann – Petrovic (76th / M. Oswald), Kerschbaum – Zimmermann (62nd / Strunz), Greil, Grüll (76th / Bajic) – Burgstaller
WSG: F. Oswald – Ranacher (46./Sabitzer), Behounek, Stumberger, Schulz – Sulzbacher (89./Naschberger), Müller (89./Üstündag) – Rogelj, Ogrinec (65./Prica), Ertlthaler (80./Rinaldi ) – Forest
Yellow cards: Burgstaller, Zimmermann, Kerschbaum or Ranacher, Silberberger (coach), Sulzbacher
The best: Burgstaller, Greil, Kasius, Strunz or Behounek, Rogelj