The situation going into the match is quite interesting. Rapid opened the new Bundesliga season with a 1-0 home win over SCR Altach and added a convincing European victory in Estonia during the week. Ried collected a point away to promoted side Austria Lustenau. After falling behind early to Rapid loanee Dominik Weixelbraun, Jussef Nasrawe equalised in the 33rd minute to make it 1-1.
Ried have recently become a stumbling block for Rapid
On paper, Rapid are favourites on Sunday. The historical head-to-head also clearly favours the Vienna side, with 51 Rapid wins, 20 Ried victories and 19 draws. In the Innviertel, however, this fixture has traditionally been more difficult for Rapid.
The Vienna side experienced that several times last season. In January, they suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat in Ried in the Austrian Cup quarter-finals. At the end of May, the first leg of the European play-off followed at the same venue. Nikki Havenaar headed the hosts in front before Romeo Amane equalised in the 75th minute. Just two minutes later, Ried went 2-1 ahead again and held on to the lead.
That meant Rapid had lost three consecutive competitive matches against the Innviertel side. In December 2025, Ried had already won 2-1 in Hütteldorf – for the very first time. Rapid’s only league win in Ried last season was a 2-0 victory on 26 October 2025, with goals from Nikolaus Wurmbrand and Ercan Kara. Overall, Ried won three of the four competitive meetings prior to the final play-off second leg.
Schöller’s standout performance secured Europe for Rapid
That most recent meeting, however, is one Rapid will remember very fondly. After losing 2-1 in the Innviertel, the Vienna side were under enormous pressure in the return leg but produced one of their best performances of the closing stages of last season at the Allianz Stadion.
Jakob Schöller became the man of the match. The Austrian U21 international, who was deployed at left-back, headed Rapid in front in the 26th minute following a corner from Bendegúz Bolla. In the 66th minute, Schöller struck with his head again, converting a cross from Tobias Gulliksen to make it 2-0.
Rapid were clearly superior that afternoon. The Vienna side had 56 per cent possession and attempted 19 shots, while Ried managed only four. Louis Schaub made absolutely sure in stoppage time with the 3-0 goal. Rapid won the tie 4-2 on aggregate and secured the European place that has already taken the club successfully to Andorra and Estonia this season.
New coach and a slightly different Ried side
There have been several changes in the Innviertel since the spring. Maximilian Senft left the club, with Mario Despotovic taking over as head coach during the summer. The 41-year-old previously worked, among other roles, in the academy and with the second team of Hajduk Split and wants to further develop Ried’s style of play.
Johannes Hoff Thorup therefore does not expect simply a repeat of the matches from the spring:
“I expect a different match from the last one. Ried have a new coach and they also play a little differently compared to last season. We already made extensive use of the matchday in Tallinn to analyse the opponent intensively within the coaching staff. But I also want to emphasise that a lot has changed with us and that we are better now. Therefore, I expect a significantly better performance from us than the last time in Ried. Friday is about recovery, on Saturday we will prepare for the match with a good training session in Vienna, then travel to Upper Austria and ideally pick up the next three points the following day,” said the Danish head coach with confidence.
The physical aspect will also play a role for Rapid. After Thursday night’s late match in Tallinn, the team landed in Bratislava shortly before 1 a.m. and then returned to Vienna by bus. Friday was therefore devoted entirely to recovery.
The match against Paide also showed that, despite the 4-1 victory, there is still room for improvement. Rapid dominated possession but needed until the closing stages for their substitutes to decide the match. Against a physically strong Ried side, they will need to play with greater tempo in possession.
Bajlicz set for a reunion
The match will be particularly special for Nicolas Bajlicz. The 22-year-old played for Ried last season, made 28 competitive appearances and established himself as a regular starter. He returned to Hütteldorf in the summer and has already been featuring regularly.
For the hosts, Oliver Steurer is approaching a milestone. The centre-back could make his 100th competitive appearance for Ried. The 31-year-old has been with the club since 2023 and did not miss a single minute of action last season.
In terms of personnel, Ried will be without Philipp Pomer and Dominik Stöger, who are both injured. Fabian Rossdorfer is doubtful. Rapid reported no new injuries ahead of the trip to the Innviertel. Romeo Amane was not yet part of the most recent matchday squad but is moving closer to a comeback.
Ried want to exploit Rapid’s European workload
Despite Rapid’s travel schedule, Ried coach Despotovic expects a difficult match and is demanding courage from his team:
“We are now really looking forward to our first home game in front of our fans. In Rapid, we face a team with a lot of quality and high intensity, and we will need to be focused and brave from the very first minute. We want to build on the positive aspects from Lustenau, continue to improve and impress at home with our energy and our style of play.”
Around 6,000 spectators are expected for Ried’s first home match of the season. Rapid go into the game with the greater individual quality and five wins from their first five competitive matches of the new campaign. However, their recent experiences in the Innviertel are warning enough: matches in Ried have rarely been straightforward for Rapid in recent months.
