The first play-off semi-final in the Austrian Bundesliga was called a “Do-or-Die” game. Only three days after their last appearance in the Austrian Bundesliga, the KO duel in the fight for Europe was on the program for SK Rapid Vienna and SV Mattersburg. Thanks to a brilliant initial phase, the Favorit Rapid Vienna kept the dream of Europe alive. Not 48 hours later, the Green-Whites are back in action and must contest the first leg in the play-off finals. It comes to the duel between Rapid Vienna and Sturm Graz!
Football Betting Tips Rapid Vienna vs Sturm Graz
Accordingly, there is not much time for regeneration and Rapid Vienna has to overcome its own limits a penultimate time this season. Corporal benefits should accordingly be identified among the guests from Styria, who played the last league match on Sunday afternoon in the Lavanttal near Wolfsberg. While in the Green-Whites after the recent successes, the mood but can be described as quite positive, this behaves completely contrary to the Blackies. After many setbacks, the mood is heating up. Both teams feel a great pressure, because the failure would be a super-GAU both for Rapid and for storm. The bookmakers see in the first leg between Rapid and Sturm according to current odds, the hosts in spite of the low Reger Nation Time advantage.
Rapid Vienna – Statistics & Current Form
In the last Bundesliga game on Saturday against the cashpoint SCR Altach Didi Kühbauer ran the second guard and completely rotated through. The fans did not like this, but in view of the intense week, it was absolutely understandable. In the home game against SV Mattersburg Kühbauer could send his best formation into the race and experienced an absolute start to measure. After a rehearsed corner ball variant, the early lead by Christoph Knasmüllner, few pointers later increased Aliou Badji (14 games, six goals) to 2: 0. Rapid was much closer to 3: 0 in the rest of the game than Mattersburg. In the final phase was clearly seen that unnecessary meters were avoided – sparing forces was announced.
“The first step was very important that we have the next two games. We could have saved ourselves by a 3: 0 still a few meters, but we will still tease out our energy somewhere, the players must now only once in the ice bin ” – Didi Kühbauer
Head coach Didi Kühbauer was satisfied after the match and ordered his players into the ice bin to accelerate the recovery. The dense calendar is a race against time, but a moaning was not heard by Kühbauer, after all, the reform makes it possible to save the messed up season yet. Rapid-Boss Krammer underlined again how important the Europa League is for Rapid. Personally, Kühbauer will probably bring fresh wind in one way or another.
The 2-0 victory against Mattersburg was the eighth home win for Rapid Vienna in the 17th home game, but there were also five defeats to cope. It is striking that there are not many goals to be seen in the Allianz Stadium. In eleven of the 17 home games, the under 2.5 was crowned with success. For Rapid, it will be important to keep their own zero and accordingly appears between Rapid Vienna and Sturm Graz a renewed prediction on the under 2.5 promising.
Expected formation of Rapid Vienna:
↪ Strebinger – Bolingoli, Hofmann, Sonnleitner, Müldür – Schwab, Ljubicic – Schobesberger, Knasmüllner, Murg – Badji
Last matches from Rapid Vienna:
⚽️ 28.05.2019 – Rapid Vienna vs. Mattersburg 2: 0 (Bundesliga)
⚽️ 25.05.2019 – Rapid Vienna vs. Altach 1: 2 (Bundesliga)
⚽️ 18.05.2019 – Mattersburg vs Rapid Vienna 1: 0 (Bundesliga)
⚽️ 11.05.2019 – Rapid Vienna vs. Innsbruck 1: 0 (Bundesliga)
⚽️ 04.05.2019 – Admira Vs. Rapid Vienna 3: 4 (Bundesliga)
Sturm Graz – Statistics & Current Form
Twelve months ago the SK Sturm Graz could still celebrate the title win in the Austrian Cup competition. But in the last twelve months, there was hardly any reason for a happy party mood. Internationally there was a blamable appearance of the Blackies to see the Bundesliga season was also more bad than right. Again and again, great opportunities were left and the great opportunity for the direct qualification for the group stage was playfully frittered away. Since mid-November, former player Roman Mählich has been hired as the head coach. At the beginning of his tenure, results football was celebrated without shining. Over the winter break, the Blackies have lost the result orientation and play since then unattractive and also unsuccessful football.
In the championship round – the upper play-off – the Mählich-Eleven could bring in three wins, but also suffered seven defeats. Particularly frightening were the performances in front of the home crowd, in the Merkur-Arena all five games were lost. The home record is terrifyingly weak and given this fact, the pressure for the Mählich team is high in the away game. A good result is imperative; Sturm can not rely on performance at home.
“Once again, it’s our own fault, I’m really 180! As bad as we are, that’s incredible! We are already leading 1: 0, that’s really crazy! We run into a counterattack in the 70th away. That reflects the season. That fits in with how bad we are. ” – Lukas Spendlhofer
After the 1: 2 defeat against Wolfsberg – in the storm with a win could even fix the EL qualification – defensive boss Lukas Spendlhofer burst the collar and echauffierte in a TV interview on the own performances of the Grazer, among other things, the words fell “Unbelievable how bad we are”. The mood is clearly strained and Roman Mählich said in an interview on Wednesday already an indication that in case of failure against Rapid his work could be over. Although Sturm has won three out of the five away games in the championship round, in the match between Rapid Vienna and Sturm Graz a tip on the visitors is not recommended.
Expected formation of Sturm Graz:
↪ Siebenhandl – Mensah, Maresic, Spendlhofer, Koch – Dominguez – Lema, Ljubic, Kiteishvili, Hierländer – Pink
Last matches of Sturm Graz:
⚽️ 26.05.2019 – Wolfsberg Vs. Sturm Graz 2: 1 (Bundesliga)
⚽️ 19.05.2019 – Sturm Graz vs. Red Bull Salzburg 1: 2 (Bundesliga)
⚽️ 12.05.2019 – Sturm Graz vs. Austria Vienna 1: 3 (Bundesliga)
⚽️ 05.05.2019 – St. Pölten vs Sturm Graz 0: 1 (Bundesliga)
⚽️ 28.04.2019 – Sturm Graz vs. Lask 2: 3 (Bundesliga)
Rapid Vienna vs Sturm Graz Direct Comparison & Infographic
There was no winner in the two matches in the basic round of the Austrian Bundesliga between SK Rapid Vienna and SK Sturm Graz. In the Merkur-Arena of the Styrians the teams parted with a 1: 1-draw, in the alliance-arena of the Green-Whites there were no goals to see. With these two results, Rapid would be able to live well, because the Europa League ticket would then be fixed thanks to the away goals rule. However, Rapid Vienna has not won against the Blackies from Styria for a long time. In 2017/18 there were also two storm victories and two draws – and also in the Cup storm prevailed against Rapid!
Rapid Vienna vs Sturm Graz Our Best Betting Tips Analyzed
An ideal preparation certainly looks different than Rapid Vienna. 44 hours between kick-off and kick-off are extreme and represent a great challenge. But with the goal in mind, the tiredness should be forgotten, Kühbauer did not want to seek an excuse in advance. Despite the enormous burden, the bookmakers see in the duel between Rapid Vienna and Sturm Graz according to current odds the home side advantage.
Key Facts – Rapid Vienna vs Sturm Graz tips
⭐️ Enormous load – only 48 hours after the Mattersburg match Rapid has to start again!
⭐️ In the last seven games there was no victory for Rapid Vienna against SK Sturm Graz!
⭐️ The Blackies do not get fan support after a disappointing season!
The mood in green and white is certainly better than that of the Blackies from Styria. The unrest is clearly felt, the pressure enormously, because in case of failure hardly a stone will remain on the other. Rapid will certainly miss the liveliness a bit, storm, however, is unlikely to take much risk due to the unform. Accordingly, a game without countless offensive actions and goals can be expected again. In the Europa League play-off first leg between Rapid Vienna and Sturm Graz, a prediction of good odds for the Under 2.5 seems promising.
Betting Tips: Under 2.5 goals
Odds: 2.05
