26th round of the Austrian Bundesliga. Wolfsberger AC welcomes Hartberg. We report live – see ticker below. It is currently 2:1 for the Styrians.
Here’s the live ticker: For Wolfsberger AC and TSV Hartberg, the Bundesliga is about escaping the relegation battle. WAC even has an opportunity to climb to the top of the qualifying group for at least one night with a win. The fourth-placed table neighbor Hartberg (13) could draw level with the Carinthians with a “three” on points and temporarily extend the lead over bottom rider Ried (10). “No focus on table position” For WAC trainer Manfred Schmid, however, the starting position plays no role at all . “There is no focus on a place in the table. Our thought remains that we don’t want to have anything to do with the bottom,” emphasized the former coach of Wiener Austria. With the Styrians, an opponent is now waiting who also has something in terms of play. After the 2-2 win against Altach and a 0-2 deficit, the Hartbergers travel to the Lavanttal with a “very good feeling”. “We’re going to Wolfsberg full of courage because we believe that we can cause problems for everyone,” said TSV coach Markus Schopp. The route is clear seven laps before the end of the season: “We want to win. I’m assuming that Manfred has the same idea.” Schmid agreed and emphasized: “We both know that two very good teams will meet was the last game of the then WAC coach Robin Dutt. Under his successor Schmid, the Wolfsbergers started with two wins from three games in the qualifying group, most recently a 3-1 win against leaders Austria Lustenau after a 0-1 deficit. “We played a very good game and finally got our reward. That was an exclamation mark and a great sense of achievement. Now it’s about confirming that,” said Schmid, who still has to do without Dominik Baumgartner. The central defender trained slightly with the team for the first time on Thursday after a thigh injury. Schopp paid tribute to his opponent, but didn’t want to sell himself too cheaply. “In terms of the package, the WAC is a big story. We don’t need to hide, but we’re also playing against an opponent who has planned to be in the championship group,” stressed Schopp. The WAC has a high individual quality in many positions and is an extremely good opponent. But: “We know what to expect. We’re ready.” “In the end it’s all about points” The 49-year-old is hoping for the third point in a row in his tenth game since returning to the coaching bench in Hartberg. The development of his eleven is “interesting and good”, even if other things are currently important. “Philosophy or not, in the end it’s all about points,” said Schopp.
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