A fifth victory in six league matches lifted Rapid back into second place on 15 points. The difference between the teams over the full 90 minutes was not quite as pronounced as the final score suggests, however. WAC created opportunities of their own, particularly after the break, but Rapid defended the decisive moments far more effectively than they had done in Salzburg.
Rapid catch a depleted WAC at the right time
The circumstances were far from ideal for Wolfsberg. Captain and defensive leader Nicolas Wimmer suffered a serious knee injury during their laborious cup win over Parndorf and will be sidelined for an extended period. Giacomo Vrioni, WAC’s leading scorer with four goals from the opening five league games, was also unavailable with a torn muscle fibre.
Raffael Behounek then dropped out at short notice as well. The centre-back had been due to return following suspension but was ultimately unable to play because of ongoing pain after an ankle ligament injury. WAC were therefore without several key players. Right-back Fabian Wohlmuth had to fill in as part of the back three, while youngster Phillip Verhounig replaced Vrioni in attack. Rapid undoubtedly faced WAC at a favourable moment.
Two centre-backs head Rapid into control
Johannes Hoff Thorup opted for his 4-2-3-1, with Matthias Seidl and Nicolas Bajlicz in central midfield, Yusuf Demir as the number ten and Tonni Adamsen leading the line. Rapid immediately took control and circulated the ball patiently against a surprisingly deep Wolfsberg shape.
After only six minutes, Adamsen narrowly failed to connect with a cross from Petter Nosa Dahl. The breakthrough arrived from a set piece in the 13th minute. Demir delivered a free-kick into the area, Serge-Philippe Raux-Yao won his aerial duel and headed Rapid into a 1-0 lead.
WAC offered little attacking threat in the first half. Dominik Fitz created one of their few dangerous moments with a free-kick, but Niklas Hedl was alert. At the other end, Rapid required very few chances to extend their advantage.
After a deflected Demir effort, a corner was awarded – a decision that was at least debatable. Rapid initially played the set piece short before Bendegúz Bolla delivered an excellent cross into the box. This time Nenad Cvetkovic rose highest and headed home in the 35th minute. Two centre-backs, two headers, two goals: Rapid exploited exactly the situations in which WAC’s reshuffled defence looked particularly vulnerable.
WAC improve, Hedl denies the lifeline
The pattern shifted somewhat after the interval. Rapid no longer needed to attack with the same urgency and managed their lead, while Wolfsberg pushed higher and began to register more attempts.
Their best opportunity fell to Verhounig in the 65th minute. After a messy sequence inside the box, the young striker was presented with a close-range chance but directed his effort too centrally. Hedl reacted well and prevented WAC from getting back into the game. Shortly beforehand, a misplaced back-pass from Jannes Horn had already caused some uncertainty in the Rapid defence.
The statistics also show that the 3-0 scoreline did not come from a constant stream of chances. Rapid enjoyed 61 per cent possession and recorded 27 touches in the opposition penalty area to WAC’s 15, but the hosts actually had 12 shots compared with Rapid’s six. The xG margin, 1.05 to 0.77, was also considerably smaller than the final result. Rapid were simply far more clinical on the night and defended Wolfsberg’s few genuinely dangerous moments much better.
Dahl adds the finishing touch
Thorup introduced Marco Tilio, Louis Schaub and Ercan Kara during the second half. Tilio in particular would make an important contribution. In the 82nd minute, Rapid played out a counter-attack cleanly, the Australian sent a low ball across goal and Dahl turned it home to make it 3-0.
Cvetkovic, Raux-Yao and Hedl were particularly important to the victory. The two centre-backs made the difference in attack, while Rapid also kept their first clean sheet in five competitive matches. Before the game, Thorup had demanded: “We have to get back on track in the league.” His team did exactly that.
After the 5-1 defeat in Salzburg, when Thorup had openly criticised his side’s defensive work, the performance in Wolfsberg was therefore the response Rapid needed. Five wins from six rounds leave them second in the table.
Sturm against LASK headlines Sunday’s action
The sixth round concludes with three matches on Sunday. Austria Wien host newly promoted Austria Lustenau at 14:30, while WSG Tirol face TSV Hartberg at the same time. The standout fixture follows at 17:00, when Sturm Graz welcome LASK. The Linz side can move back above Rapid and potentially consolidate their place at the top of the table.
