Bitter defeat in home derby

Guido Burgstaller put the city rivals ahead after half an hour, while Austria were unlucky with two shots on the bar. Dominik Fitz scored a well-deserved equaliser from the penalty spot in the 80th minute. The Violets pressed for the win, but Ercan Kara scored from a corner kick in the 84th minute to make the final score 1-2. 

Reinhold Ranftl and Maurice Malone returned to the starting eleven after their suspensions, and head coach Stephan Helm also started Johannes Handl in central defence. Hakim Guenouche, Andreas Gruber and Tin Plavotić should provide impetus from the bench.

For the visitors from Hütteldorf, coach Stefan Kulovits made three changes: Guido Burgstaller was in the starting eleven for the first time since his comeback and Mamadou Sangaré was eligible to play again after suspension. Lukas Grgić was fit in time and started in central midfield alongside Sangaré.  

Rapid scored, Austria unlucky

Maurice Malone had the first opportunity in the 346th Vienna derby. However, after a pass from Nik Prelec, the German was prevented from finishing by a hard tackle from Sangaré (4th). Burgstaller took a volley from Grgić's pass, but Samuel Şahin-Radlinger was on his guard with a great reflex save (6'). Johannes Handl created space with an advance through the centre, Reinhold Ranftl hit a perfect cross to Malone, whose header unfortunately went over the goal (9'). Prelec picked up his fifth yellow card early on and will miss the next game against WAC. Niklas Hedl intercepted Dominik Fitz's pass (17') and in the 32nd minute the visitors took the lead through Burgstaller from a corner.

Austria were briefly shocked, Burgstaller shot a volley over the goal (37'). Then the Violets came back, Matteo Pérez Vinlöf hitting the crossbar as he fell (39'). A shot from Fitz was saved by Hedl (44'), and in stoppage time Fitz hit the crossbar again after a corner, Malone headed the follow-up shot wide (45+2'). The Violets had to come back from a narrow deficit in the second half.

Fitzi equalised from the spot, but in the end it was the visitors who celebrated

There were no changes at the break, with the Violets heading for the east stand to equalise. Manfred Fischer was denied by Hedl (54') and referee Christopher Jäger was left dazed after a collision with Jansson. A shot from Ranftl was blocked and a header from Aleksandar Dragović after a corner from Fitz was saved by Hedl (58‘, 60’).

Andreas Gruber and Hakim Guenouche came on for Fischer and Pérez Vinlöf. Abubakr Barry shot over the goal (75'). A handball by Ahoussou in the penalty area after a shot by Malone led to an on-field review (77'). Referee Jäger finally pointed to the spot. Dominik Fitz stepped up to take the penalty and made it 1-1 in the 80th minute.

Malone outplayed Hedl, but then failed to score (82'). But instead of the home team taking the lead, another sting in the violet heart followed. Ercan Kara scored with his head - again after a corner kick - to make it 2-1 for the city rivals.  

The Violets were unable to hit back, SK Rapid won the Vienna derby and Austria dropped to third place in the table.

Austria Wien - SK Rapid 1:2 (0:1)

Austria: Şahin-Radlinger; Handl, Dragović, Wiesinger; Ranftl, Fischer (67' Gruber), Pérez Vinlöf (67' Guenouche); Barry, Fitz; Malone, Prelec

Rapid: Hedl; Bolla, Vincze, Ahoussou, Oswald; Sangaré (75' Bischof), Grgić, Amané; Seidl (89' Kerschbaum), Burgstaller (69' Kara), Jansson (75' Radulović)

Goals: Fitz (80‘, penalty); Burgstaller (32’), Kara (84')

Yellow cards: Prelec (11'), Pérez Vinlöf (27'), Dragović (47'), Malone (80'), Fitz (87'); Bolla (52'), Hedl (67')

Generali-Arena, referee Christopher Jäger, 14,622 spectators