Game turned round – 2-1 win against Blau-Weiß Linz

The visitors from Linz took the lead in the 30th minute with a deflected shot from Simon Seidl. Goals from Maurice Malone and Nik Prelec after the break turned the game in the Violets' favour. The 14,600 spectators were able to cheer on the fifth competitive win in a row.

Stephan Helm returned to his ‘regular team’ after the successful Cup performance in Horn. Samuel Şahin-Radlinger returned in goal and Lucas Galvão was also back in the Bundesliga after his yellow card suspension in place of Tin Plavotić. Manfred Fischer and Philipp Maybach were deployed in central midfield, with Dominik Fitz, Maurice Malone and Nik Prelec starting in attack. Andreas Gruber was back from the bench to provide fresh impetus. Helm thus fielded the same starting XI as in the win in Klagenfurt, making Austria the team with the fewest changes to the starting XI in the Bundesliga.

Blau-Weiß Linz were only narrowly beaten 2-1 by Sturm Graz in the Cup, with coach Gerald Scheiblehner again giving his starting XI the chance to prove themselves and making no changes.

Unfortunate deficit at the break

The visitors from Linz started strongly, with Samuel Şahin-Radlinger having to prove himself early on with shots from Danilo Mitrović and Anderson (8th, 10th). Austria became dangerous from corners by Dominik Fitz. A Manfred Fischer header went over the goal and Martin Moormann decisively deflected a Lucas Galvão shot (13, 15). Radek Vitek in the Linz goal was only able to defuse a Dominik Fitz shot from a good 20 metres with difficulty (18).

However, Blau-Weiß Linz took the lead in the 30th minute through a deflected shot from Simon Seidl, with Ronivaldo providing the preparatory work. Maurice Malone had the chance to equalise shortly afterwards, but Manuel Maranda cleared the ball off the line (32'). The Violets kept up the pressure until the break, but no more goals were scored for the time being - 0:1 at the break.

Malone and Prelec turned the game around

Matteo Pérez Vinlöf and Abubakr Barry came on for Hakim Guenouche and Philipp Maybach at the break. A shot from Seidl hit the outside of the net, while at the other end Fitz played an ideal pass to Maurice Malone, whose finish was blocked at the last moment by Moormann (47, 49). Reinhold Ranftl passed to Barry, whose attempted shot ended up with Maurice Malone. He didn't hesitate for long and tucked the ball into the far corner - the deserved 1:1 in the 52nd minute.

In the 60th minute, Austria consolidated their position as the best team after trailing 1-0: Barry, Ranftl and Fitz perfectly initiated a counter-attack. Malone laid the ball off to Nik Prelec, who outpaced Maranda and Vitek before firing in a composed shot. The game was turned around, 2:1 in favour of the Violets.

Austria kept the pressure on and Vitek saved a free-kick from Dominik Fitz. From the resulting corner, Vitek had to summon all his skill to save a header from Lucas Galvão (64'). Dominik Fitz flicked the ball onto the net after a great combination (66'). Vitek was again on hand to save a shot from Prelec (67').

The Violets created chances by the minute, with Maurice Malone shooting just wide of the second post in the 71st minute. A shot from Fitz bounced just in front of Vitek, but the Linz goalkeeper was able to defuse the dangerous ball (78').

A successful day's work came to an end for goalscorers Nik Prelec and Maurice Malone, with Andreas Gruber and Marko Raguž coming on. Shortly before the end, Tin Plavotić replaced Philipp Wiesinger, who was cauterised by a red foul on Mehmet Ibrahimi.

The Violets held on to their lead and remain in third place in the ADMIRAL Bundesliga.

Austria Wien – Blau-Weiß Linz 2:1 (0:1)

Austria: Şahin-Radlinger; Wiesinger (88. Plavotić), Dragović, Galvão; Ranftl, Fischer, Maybach (46. Barry), Fitz, Guenouche (46. Pérez Vinlöf); Prelec (72. Gruber), Malone (83. Raguž)

Blau-Weiß Linz: Vitek; Mitrović (70. Pašić), Maranda, Moormann (50. Strauss); Anderson (70. Gölles), Diabaté, Dobras, Pirkl; Seidl (74. Ibrahimi), Ronivaldo, Goiginger (70. Schmidt)

Goals: Malone (52.), Prelec (60.); Seidl (30.)

Yellow cards: Maybach (39th), Prelec (72nd), Wiesinger (87th); Pirkl (44th).

Generali Arena, referee Jakob Semler, 14,600 spectators