Hartberg also wants a surprise against Salzburg

“Winning Rapid is definitely what motivates us,” Hartburg coach Kurt Ross said on Friday. “There are always surprises in football, you have to believe that.” He is hoping for a similar performance against Salzburg. “We have to be very close, but still play forward so Salzburg can see that it will not be that easy. Of course, I also hope that many fans will come to the stadium. It is great to watch Salzburg, but it is better to watch us!”

In Salzburg, after successfully qualifying for the Champions League, it is important to return to everyday life in the Bundesliga – there have been a similar number of victories in the previous five rounds. Coach Gisele doesn’t think remembering might be a problem. “It is not at all difficult to focus on Hartberg, this is everyday life in the league,” the German said. The 33-year-old shouldn’t rotate much – also because the international break after that will slow the pace of most pros.

After five draws so far, WSG Tirol wants its first win. Coach Thomas Silberberger hopes to achieve this in the first leg at Austria’s Klagenfurt stadium, but is ready to fight back hard. “We are going to meet with a very cheerful newcomer who recently got the results,” the 48-year-old warned.

Like the Tyroleans, the Klagenfurters are in the middle of the table by five points. “Overall, we can feel good about the start,” said coach Peter Bacolt. “It was important to write to them right away.” He sees room for improvement “primarily in the pace of work,” says the experienced coach, who attests that the WSG is a “healthy and well-organised team”.

The SCR Altach is one of the surprise teams of the season so far. After five rounds, Vorarlberg finished fourth with seven points, and should at least maintain this position in the second leg against Wydad. Wolfsberger holds five points, but Altas coach Damir Kennedy has great respect for the Carinthians. “I expect a very close match,” said the Viennese player. “Everything is very close in the league. There are no candidates in a match like this at the moment.” It’s possible that Alion Ndiaye’s new signature, Baba Altaş, will not be used against Wolfsberger just yet.

Although Altach’s new defense titan will likely come to a halt, WAC supervisor Robin Dutt is ready for a challenging match. “The Altachers are very compact and are good at switching. It’s hard to play with them.” Lavantaler celebrated his first win of the season in the league a week ago with a 3-0 home win over Admira. “But at this time you shouldn’t talk more about relief than about disappointment. At the moment it is still just a development stage.”