German League: The battle for relegation continues to escalate

After a bitter 0:2 game in Tirol and a failed debut for new coach Christian Heinl, Infertler has just three points in the relegation zone, with Südstadters winning by four after the first defeat in Game Six of the qualifying group. The two teams meet on Tuesday and if there is a loser, it may be difficult for them, especially if Altaş win.

However, the upward trend in Vorarlberg ended in Pasching. After five unbeaten matches and nine points, the streak of small wins is over. “There are days like this,” said coach Ludovic Magnin, whose team started the second phase of the season with 10 consecutive clean sheets. The supposed tipping point may not have been enough. “It’s a tough mental blow, but the team has been mentally strong for weeks. We will not collapse because everything went against us today,” the Swiss said with optimism about the future.

A necessary victory in the “League of Satan”.

On the other hand, Hartberg was able to look forward to liberation. In the new employer’s sixth game, Klaus Schmidt took three points for the first time, a rare sentiment for the club, since the last time he won the league was on November 28, 2021. Schmidt stressed that “a win was absolutely necessary in this Devil’s League to continue”. But it wasn’t just important because of the points. “Above all, he was very important mentally.”

This also made the 2-1 home defeat against the Southern Township residents forgotten. “On Monday we sat down and talked frankly. Apparently that had an effect. I’m proud of the team,” Styria said. There is no time to celebrate as the next ‘final’ is imminent, as Josef Ganda lost a concussion after hitting his head. In the right direction, but nothing was won in the relegation battle. Schmidt cautioned that we are a long way from “safety”.

Admira gambles away from a good starting position

For him, there were also special points because he earned them at the stadium of his former club, who did not give him a new contract in 2021 despite his short-term relegation mission. He was favored by Andreas Herzog. The ÖFB record team player also has to deal more with the relegation issue again. “We spoiled our position in the good start again,” coach Admira said.

And thanks to the gifts that were distributed as before the 0:2 match, the hosts once again had nothing to gain on their court. “We didn’t put our quality down on the pitch and made a lot of mistakes. We suffered a bitter setback that we now have to eliminate at Reed,” the 53-year-old said. Robert Ebertsberger in office.

Anyone who had hoped for a quick profit from a coach change was deeply disappointed. “We are a bit lacking in subjective evidence, due to the past few sessions. We will see we bring in a positive mood so we can push the team forward,” said Heinl, the new coach, who wants to get his team in good shape for the home match against Admira. “Then we are advised to score points quickly,” said the 37-year-old.

WSG and LASK are equal before the duel

On the other hand, after six points in two matches against Inverter WSG boss Thomas Silberger, he is laughing well. His team is now level with group leaders LASK, with 21 points, and is scheduled to meet in Innsbruck on Tuesday. “In LASK we still have a balance to settle,” the Watten coach said, referring to the previous three defeats in the season (including the cup) with a draw.

In the league there was a 0:6 slap. At the time I was “the number one relegation candidate. After five games, we had the most points of any team in the qualifying round with ten points. But we are far from finished,” Silberger said. To dream of the European Cup, which can still be achieved with a first place in the “lower auxiliary.” The favorite for this is LASK, who has brought himself back to the place under the sun.

It was a comeback without brilliance, only the red card of Altach defender Mikael Nanizayamo put Linz on the path to victory after a difficult start – goals quickly followed by Sacha Horvath (42’/penalty) and Keito Nakamura (43). The first and second three in the qualifying group. “The three points were very important for the mind, and now we’ve got some breathing space,” says director Peter Mishorl. No wonder, because Upper Austria was only one point away from last place if they lost.