Rapid will be looking to maintain their impressive form despite likely changes to their starting eleven. Austria, meanwhile, hope the cup can provide the turning point they desperately need ahead of Sunday’s Vienna derby. Both matches kick off at 6pm.
Rapid are playing some of Austria’s finest football
SK Rapid are currently the dominant force in the Austrian Bundesliga. With 27 points from ten matches, 31 goals scored and seven consecutive home victories, their progress under Johannes Hoff Thorup is reflected in both their performances and results.
The Vienna side have made particularly significant strides in their attacking play. Rapid combine at high speed, exploit spaces between opposition lines intelligently and regularly find solutions against teams defending deep. Their attack, featuring Yusuf Demir, Tonni Adamsen, Petter Nosa Dahl and Ercan Kara, is producing some of the most attractive football in Austria.
Their latest 5-1 home victory over Austria Lustenau provided another demonstration of those qualities. Rapid were 2-0 ahead after just nine minutes and extended their lead to 3-0 before half-time. Although Thorup subsequently criticised his team’s lack of ruthlessness in front of goal, the visitors were given little opportunity to compete.
The Danish coach has turned a talented squad into an exceptionally cohesive unit. Rapid’s attacking movements and positional relationships are now so well established that even several personnel changes should have relatively little effect on their playing style.
Thorup prepares to rotate against Vienna
That strength in depth could prove particularly important in the cup. Thorup made very few changes against Lustenau, despite several players having received limited playing time recently.
Rotation is now expected, with Claudy Mbuyi, Marco Tilio, Moulaye Haidara and Nikolaus Wurmbrand among those who could come into the starting line-up.
Tilio and Haidara only entered the Lustenau match in the closing stages, although the Australian still managed to score Rapid’s fifth goal. Wurmbrand was introduced as late as the 89th minute, while Mbuyi remained on the bench despite the comfortable scoreline and the contest having effectively been settled.
Thorup explained after the league match that he had deliberately rested certain players so they could receive more minutes in the cup. With a full week of training ahead of the Lustenau fixture, he had seen no need to rotate his team at that stage.
Rapid’s strength is underlined by the individual quality available even in a reshuffled attack. Wurmbrand, for example, scored a hat-trick in the 5-2 second-round cup victory over Austria Klagenfurt. The visitors will therefore remain clear favourites even if Thorup makes several changes.
Vienna arrive on an eight-match winning streak
Rapid will nevertheless face anything but an ordinary second-division opponent. First Vienna are also enjoying excellent form under Patrick Enengl, having won their last eight league matches.
Friday’s 2-0 victory over FAC provided an ideal dress rehearsal. The Döbling side sit second in Austria’s second division, level on points with leaders Blau-Weiß Linz.
Ahead of the cup tie, Enengl described Rapid as currently the best team in Austria, highlighting their technical quality and effective counter-pressing.
Vienna themselves possess a compact defence, plenty of experience and dangerous attacking players. Youssouf Soukouna and Luca Edelhofer, who both scored against FAC, will be among those looking to trouble Rapid.
The sold-out Hohe Warte, with tickets snapped up weeks ago, should also provide a formidable atmosphere. Vienna won the clubs’ last cup meeting in 2006, prevailing on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Rapid therefore have reason to be cautious, although they currently possess considerably greater technical quality than their opponents.
Austria begin a crucial week under a new manager
The situation at Austria Vienna could hardly be more different. Following a 2-1 defeat at SCR Altach, their seventh Bundesliga loss in ten matches, the club’s hierarchy decided to part company with Stephan Helm.
Maximilian Uhlig, previously in charge of the Young Violets reserve team, has been appointed interim head coach until the end of the year. The 33-year-old has been tasked with steering Austria out of their crisis and will take charge of the first team for the first time against Hartberg.
Austria sit second from bottom in the Bundesliga with just seven points. Their defensive performances have been particularly concerning. In both the 3-2 defeat at Ried and the 2-1 loss in Altach, the Vienna side surrendered a lead.
Uhlig has had just two training sessions to prepare his players for the cup tie. Major tactical changes are therefore unlikely in such a short period, although the new coach has promised fresh ideas and a better use of the squad’s potential.
Restoring defensive organisation and rebuilding the players’ confidence will be especially important.
The personnel situation may at least improve slightly. Defensive leader Aleksandar Dragović could return to the squad following muscular problems, while Philipp Wiesinger may have to wait until Sunday’s derby before becoming available again.
Hartberg provide a demanding first test
Uhlig’s first opponents are one of the more consistent teams in the Austrian Bundesliga.
TSV Hartberg sit sixth after ten rounds, having collected seven more points than Austria. Markus Schopp’s side have lost only one of their last eight competitive matches, against league leaders Rapid.
Hartberg most recently secured a 1-0 victory over Wolfsberger AC. The Styrian club are well organised, dangerous on the counterattack and have several promising young players who have developed considerably under Schopp.
Austria can at least take encouragement from their recent league record against Hartberg. The Violets won 2-0 away from home in the third round of the current campaign.
The visitors, however, have particularly fond memories of the Generali Arena in the cup. In April 2025, Hartberg won their semi-final there 1-0, reaching the final for the first time in the club’s history.
Another closely contested match is expected. The managerial change could provide Austria with renewed energy, but Hartberg have greater stability and will approach the encounter with considerably more confidence.
Austria’s last realistic chance of silverware?
Given their disastrous league campaign, the Austrian Cup may already represent Austria Vienna’s last realistic opportunity to compete for a trophy this season.
Elimination against Hartberg would deepen the sporting crisis and leave the club’s attention entirely focused on an already miserable Bundesliga campaign.
Uhlig must also manage his players’ workload carefully. Just five days later, Austria host fierce rivals SK Rapid in the Vienna derby.
The current league standings give that fixture particular significance. Rapid lead the table with 27 points, while Austria trail their city rivals by 20. Another setback in the derby would be especially difficult to absorb emotionally for a squad already struggling with confidence.
Uhlig must therefore field a competitive team against Hartberg, secure qualification if possible and ensure that his players still have sufficient energy for Sunday’s derby.
Two more round-of-16 ties on Tuesday
Two further Austrian Cup fixtures take place on Tuesday alongside the matches involving the Vienna clubs.
At 6.30pm, second-division FC Hertha Wels host Wolfsberger AC. The Carinthian visitors, now under new head coach Manfred Schmid, go into the encounter as favourites, while Wels will be hoping to produce an upset in front of their own supporters.
At 7pm, Grazer AK face SCR Altach in an all-Bundesliga tie. Both clubs are battling to avoid slipping further towards the bottom of the league standings. Altach will be hoping to build on their recent 2-1 victory over Austria Vienna.
Salzburg, LASK and Sturm in action on Wednesday and Thursday
Three more ties follow on Wednesday. At 6pm, FC Wacker Innsbruck welcome WSG Tirol for a Tyrolean derby, while Red Bull Salzburg travel to Schwarz-Weiß Bregenz.
Salzburg are clear favourites but must cope with several injured or doubtful players. The absence of Nikolas Veratschnig and the possible loss of Dominik Schmid could force Danny Röhl to make changes in both full-back positions.
At 8.30pm, another regional derby sees defending cup champions LASK host SV Ried. The Linz side are determined to retain their trophy, while Ried will be aiming for another upset after some encouraging recent Bundesliga performances.
The round of 16 concludes on Thursday at 6pm when Austria Lustenau face Sturm Graz. The defending cup holders from Linz therefore face a challenging assignment, as do Sturm, who will be looking to build greater consistency domestically following their recent Europa League victory over Marseille.
The quarter-final draw will take place on Sunday evening after the Vienna derby, with the next round scheduled for February 2027.
