GAK sets the next mark in the promotion battle with a home win

GAK are taking big steps towards promotion to the Bundesliga.
Pictures of a pocket

GAK continues to move relentlessly towards promotion to the Bundesliga. FC Graz beat its guest FC Dornbirn 3-0 (2-0) in the second division on Saturday. With its fifth victory in the last six league matches, the “Rotjackets” team extended its lead over its first pursuers, FAC and DSV Leoben, to 13 points. SV Red is another point behind, but could move into second place at Admira on Sunday (10.30am).

The championship leaders got off to the perfect start in front of some 4,166 spectators at the Merkur Arena. Free kick taken by Benjamin Rosenberger went under the rebound wall and hit the near corner (3'). Shortly before the end of the first half, Len Jastremski increased the score by chasing the ball into the top corner after a pass from Daniel Maderner (43). After the break, Maderner used an uncontested cross from captain Marco Berchtold to score his ninth league goal of the season (71).

Amstetten celebrates his first win of the season

The second team, ahead of its city rival Sturm Graz, managed to win at least one point again after five consecutive defeats. Graz achieved a 1:1 (0:1) draw at home against Vienna. After two games in the spring, Vienna has just one point. Sturm's Tizian Valentino Scharmer equalized through speedy loanee Noah Bischoff (44th) after the break (58th).

Bottom side SKU Amstetten claimed their first league win of the season with a 1-0 (1-0) win at Schwarz-Weiß Bregenz and gained new hope in the relegation battle. The goal came from an own goal by Patrick Obermüller (41). Amstetten commander Lukas Denhofer, who returned from the House of Representatives in the winter, saw yellow and red in the final stage (79). The Lower Austria team is only three points behind next-to-bottom Dornbirn and five behind second-place Sturm.